Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman salutes the all-women crew of INSV Tarini that will attempt to circumnavigate globe, in Goa. PTI

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 10

Within three days of taking over as the Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman got a hands-on feel of separate military operations at Barmer and Goa while she also flagged off an all-women circumnavigation sailing crew of the Navy.Sitharaman visited the IAF forward base at Uttarlai, Barmer, and interacted with fighter pilots and airmen at the base. She was briefed about the role of the base and nature of its air operations.It’s for the first time that any Defence Minister has visited Uttarlai after December 30, 2001, the Ministry of Defence said.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Earlier in the day, Sitharaman interacted with naval fighter pilots at the shore-based test facility at Dabolim, Goa. In the afternoon, she flagged-off Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Tarini (INSV Tarini) with an all-women crew that will attempt to circumnavigate the globe.The crew is expected to return to Goa in April 2018, on completion of the voyage. The expedition will be covered in five legs, with stopovers at four ports — Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands) and Cape Town (South Africa).Terming it a historic day, Sithraman said: “Globally, our women are going to stand out for something which most navies of the world would not have even thought of.” She appreciated the Indian Navy and the mentors for inspiring, motivating and training these women.INSV Tarini is being skippered by Lt Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lt Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. The expedition is titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’.