Once The USS Trenton, Ship Flies A New Flag--For India

[Jack Ray]

Once The USS Trenton, Ship Flies A New Flag--For India
By Jon W. Glass, The Virginian-Pilot
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
June 23, 2007

NORFOLK--The amphibious ship Jalashwa, which for 36 years sailed under the U.S. flag as the Trenton, is now flying the saffron, white and green colors of India.

On the concrete deck of a berthing pier at Norfolk Naval Station, the Indian navy on Friday commissioned the 570-foot-long amphibious ship, the first of its kind and second largest to join India's emerging blue-water fleet.

It is the first time the U.S. government has transferred a warship to the South Asian country, which bought the vessel through a Pentagon excess-weapons program.

"It is truly an event which marks a new beginning, and it's a pioneering event," said Shri Ronan Sen, the Indian ambassador to the United States. The deal, he said, is "a reflection of the trust and long-term commitment" the countries share under a 2005 defense pact to stem terrorism and protect commerce.

The Jalashwa's motto: "The Fearless Pioneers."