Kakinada: The Indian Navy took the first step on Tuesday in establishing an amphibious warfare school with Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju performing the groundbreaking ceremony for a naval enclave near this Andhra Pradesh port city.

The Advanced Amphibious Warfare School and Fleet Support Complex will be housed in the enclave that will come up along the beach road on the outskirts of Kakinada, about 500 km from state capital Hyderabad.

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The enclave will also bolster the Indian Navy's capabilities along the east coast as it will complement its Eastern Naval Headquarters at Visakhapatnam further up the coast and also help guard the Krishna-Godavri basin where huge gas reserves have been discovered.

Speaking on the occasion, Raju expressed happiness that the navy was gainfully using its land by developing the enclave.

"The navy's presence would enhance maritime security in the region and contribute to the development of Kakinda's economy," Raju added.

Kakinada is the headquarters of the East Godavari district.

After the ceremony, helicopters, warships and personnel staged an exercise to showcase the navy's capabilities on the seas and in the air.

Diverse manoeuvres were on display, including a slithering and beach assault by marine commandos, and beaching operations by landing craft from INS Jalashwa and INS Kesari.

A land fighting demonstration by troops of the Indian Army's 18 Madras Regiment, a steam past by landing craft and a flypast by Sea King and Chetak helicopters rounded off the show.

Eastern Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Nirmal Verma, Eastern Fleet commander Rear Admiral Satish Soni, and senior naval officers joined Raju in witnessing the exercise.

Raju later left for the Eastern Naval Command headquarters at Visakhapatnam where he held discussions with Verma and senior naval and civil administration officers on a host of military-civil issues. IANS