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The
Naval aviation formally took birth with the commissioning of INS Garuda, a
Naval air Station at Kochi on 11 May 1953. Earlier, the first Indian Naval
Aircraft, the Shorts Sealand, had landed at Kochi on 04 Feb 1953. The
aircraft joined the Fleet Requirement Unit, which later became the first
Indian Naval Air Squadron INAS 550 on 17 Jun 1959.
This
set the pace for further growth and in time India would boast of the
aircraft carrier INS Vikrant with its squadrons of Sea Hawk fighter jets,
the Alizé anti-submarine aircraft and the Allouette III helicopter.
Vikrant would over time prove her worth in the liberation operations of
Goa and in the Indo-Pak wars.
The
Navy has since set up Air Stations along our maritime borders with INS
Hansa at Goa, INS Utkrosh at Port Blair, INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS
Rajali at Arakkonam.
Various
aircraft covering all dimensions of Naval Warfare have since been added
including the advanced multi role Seaking and Kamov helicopters, The Il 38
and Tu 142M anti submarine and maritime patrol aircraft and the
Vertical/Short take off and landing capable Sea Harrier jets.
With
the induction of the second aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, Indian Navy came
of age, adding more punch to the power of the Indian Navy.
This
air power at sea is backed by state of the art maintenance and logistics
facilities invested in Naval Aircraft Yards based at Kochi and Goa, and
with smaller facilities at all the Naval Air Stations.
Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology is the alma mater for
the air technical officers and sailors. This institute was established on
03 Jun 1957 at Kochi and is now an ISO 9001 recognised establishment. The
courses conducted by the institute for air technical officers have been
granted recognition by Goa University and Cochin University for Science
and Technology for the award of PG Diploma (Aeronautical).
Naval Aviation is poised to grow in tandem with the overall growth
of the Indian Navy. This growth is envisaged to be in terms of platforms
as well as technologies. The inductions of UAV and AEW helicopters have
introduced a new dimension to maritime air warfare. Indigenous development
programmes involving fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, air borne sensors
and weapons are expected to ensure self-reliance in the future. Selective
import of platforms and technologies would also be resorted to towards
specific needs.
Indian
Naval Aviation completed fifty seven glorious years in the service of the nation
on 11 May 2010. Over the years, this arm of the Navy has grown into a
multi faceted force, fully equipped to meet the challenges of protecting
our maritime boundaries and the assets of the nation at sea.
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