On March 29, 2022, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar commissioned a second P-8I aircraft squadron of four aircraft named ‘Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 316’ at the INS (Indian Naval Ship) Hansa Naval air base in Goa.
- INAS 316 has been christened ‘The Condors’, one of the world’s largest flying birds with a large wingspan. It will operate four P-8I aircraft procured as part of the optional clause in 2016 in a deal worth over $1 bn.
- The new air squadron will be commanded by Cdr Amit Mohapatra, an accomplished Boeing P-8I pilot.
- The squadron has been specifically commissioned to be the home for the four new P-8I aircraft procured under the Option Clause contract and to ‘Deter, Detect and Destroy’ any threat in the IOR.
About P-8I:
The Boeing P-8I is the most sophisticated multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft in the world. The Indian Navy had acquired the first batch of eight P-8I aircraft in 2013 that are stationed at INS Rajali, Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu. P-8I, an Indian variant of P-8A.
- The aircraft is being operated by the Indian Navy primarily to carry out surveillance in the Indian Ocean region (IOR).
Boeing develops 10-year roadmap for AAI to modernise Air Traffic Management
The United States (US)-based aerospace company Boeing has developed 10-year ‘Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) modernisation roadmap’ for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to modernise its air traffic management.
- The roadmap will offer enhanced air traffic capacity for flying public, and improved navigation, communication and surveillance.
- The development of roadmap was undertaken with a grant from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA),
- Boeing and the AAI had signed an agreement in 2019 to jointly develop the roadmap.
Recent Related News:
The first batch of three MH-60R Multi-Role Helicopters are expected to arrive India in the month of July 2022 in Kochi, Kerala. These three helicopters were already handed over by the United States (US) in 2021 but Indian pilots were using these helicopters for training purposes in Pensacola, San Diego and Florida of US.
About Indian Navy:
Founded- 26 January 1950
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
