A ceremony to put naval vessels into service and commemoration of the 72nd Anniversary of Tatmadaw (Navy) took place at No.3 Naval Wharf in Yangon on December 24 and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services attended and delivered a speech.

The eight new navy vessels including a multipurpose support vessel “Mottama”, which is built in South Korea, are commissioned on December 24.

The other seven new navy vessels built in Myanmar are a coastal transport vessel “Myitkyina”, two 27-meter long fast patrol boats, two 26-meter long offshore tug boats and two 20-meter long inshore patrol boats.

The multipurpose support vessel “Mottama” is not a type of combat vessel and it has clinics, operation theaters and doctors to cure the injured soldiers. It also has places to land helicopters and to supply fuel to the helicopters.

It can also provide military assistance for army, navy and air force directly and perform emergency patient rescue operation effectively, said its captain.

Although the vessel is not a combat type, it can carry 16 armoured vehicles and military trucks.

The commissioned vessels saluted the Senior General in single line formation.

The navy is possessed a submarine and its commissioning ceremony will be held separately, said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun, Secretary of Tatmadaw True News Information Team on December 23.