VISAKHAPATNAM, AP (PTI):  INS Sindhudhvaj bid adieu to the Navy last Saturday after serving for 35 years.

Vice-Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, was the chief guest at the ceremony.

The decommissioning was attended by 15 of the former commanding officers, including Commodore SP Singh (Retd), the commissioning CO and 26 commissioning crew veterans, a navy release said.

The submarine crest depicts a grey colour nurse shark and the name means flag-bearer at sea.

Sindhudhvaj, as the name suggests, was the flag-bearer of indigenisation and Navy's efforts towards achieving 'Atmanirbharta' in the Russian-built Sindhughosh class submarines throughout her journey in the Navy.

She had many a first to her credit, including operationalisation of the indigenised sonar USHUS, indigenised satellite communication systems Rukmani and inertial navigation system and indigenised torpedo fire control system.

She successfully undertook also personnel transfer with deep submergence rescue vessel and was only submarine to be awarded CNS Rolling trophy for Innovation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The traditional ceremony was conducted at sunset, with an overcast sky adding to the solemnity of the occasion when the Decommissioning Pennant was lowered and the submarine was paid off after a glorious patrol of 35 years.