'Thick and Impenetrable': Indian Navy's Tsunami 'hero' INS Magar retires

The Indian Navy’s Landing Ship Tank Magar amphibious assault ship retired Saturday after 36 years of outstanding service to the country.

At Kochi’s Southern Naval Command, a decommissioning ceremony took place on Saturday.

The ship was built entirely in India by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd., based in Kolkata.

Admiral R. H. Tahiliani, then the Chief of the Naval Staff, launched her on November 16th, 1984, and on July 18th, 1987, he commissioned her into the Indian Navy.

The initial Commanding Officer was Commander D.B. Roy. The ship is 125 metres long, weighs 5,600 tonnes, and has a 17-meter beam. The Indian Navy’s amphibious combat ships of the Magar class are commanded by INS Magar.

The ship has served as a key piece of equipment for the Indian Navy for more than 30 years and has taken part in a variety of amphibious operations, fleet deployments, and HADR missions.

The ship has participated in a number of significant missions, such as Op Pawan, where she was instrumental in moving logistics supplies to the operating area in support of the ground forces.

The ship has also been essential in a number of HADR operations, the most notable of which being the evacuation of more than 1,300 individuals from the tsunami-affected areas in December 2004. The term “Magar” refers to a particular species of crocodile.

The crest design shows a brown crocodile swimming over white and blue ocean waves with its mouth open.

The thick and impenetrable crocodile skin is depicted in a cutout on the rear portion of the crest. The style was adapted from a Mathura sculpture from the first century AD that is on display in the Lucknow Museum.

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