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Indian Naval Air Arm

Sea Harrier landing on aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

The Indian Naval Air Arm is an important component of the Indian Navy. It undertakes several very important roles to support the Navy and project India’s military power including aircraft carrier-launched strikes against maritime targets, fleet air defense, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. To undertake these tasks, the Indian Navy employs an aircraft carrier and a variety of manned and unmanned aircraft and helicopters. The INS Viraat carries a complement of Sea Harrier aircraft and Kamov, Sea King, Chetak and Dhruv helicopters. The Kamov Ka-31 provides AEW support for the fleet. In the anti-submarine role, the Sea King, Ka-28 and the indigenously-built HAL Dhruv are used. The MARCOS use Sea King and HAL Dhruv helicopters while conducting operations. Reconnaissance operations are carried out by Tupolev Tu-142s, Ilyushin Il-38s, Dornier Do 228s and also by HAL Chetak helicopters. The UAV arm consists of around 30 UAVs, such as Heron and Searcher-IIs, that are operated from ships and shore for better surveillance. The Indian Navy also maintains an aerobatic display team, the Sagar Pawan. The Sagar Pawan team will be replacing the present HJT-16 Kiran with the HJT-36. The HJT-36 will also be used in training pilots.

Contents

1 History
- 1.1 Operation Vijay
- 1.2 India Pakistan War 1971
2 Aircraft Carrier
3 Current Inventory of the Naval Air Arm
4 Future Aircraft Carriers
5 Aircraft Under Development and Future Aircraft
6 Personnel and Structure
7 Gallery
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

History

The Hawker Sea Hawk

The INS Vikrant is now a museum ship in Mumbai

The first naval air station, INS Garuda, was inaugurated in Cochin on 11 May 1953.

1960 saw the No.300 White Tigers Squadron, aircraft being commissioned.

In the very next year (1961), INS Vikrant (formerly HMS Hercules) was acquired by the Indian Navy..

In 1976, the Indian Air Force handed over Super Constellation aircraft.

Operation Vijay

The INS Vikrant participated in Operation Vijay, the liberation of Goa from Portugal. It’s role was primarily to deter foreign naval intervention during the 40-hour long military action in December, 1961.

India Pakistan War 1971

The INS Vikrant played a major role in the successful Naval blockade of East Pakistan at the outbreak of hostilities. The morning of December 4, 1971, the eight Sea Hawk aircraft on the Vikrant launched an air raid on Cox’s Bazaar from 60 nm away. That evening, the air group struck Chittagong harbor. Future strikes targeted Khulna and Mongla. A PTI message is supposed to have read, “Chittagong harbor abalze as ships and aircraft of the (Pakistan) Eastern Naval Fleet bombed and rocketed. Not a single vessel can be put to sea from Chittagong”. Air strikes staged from the Vikrant continued till December 10, 1971.

Given naval intelligence that indicated the intent of the Pakistan Navy to break through the Indian Naval blockade using camouflaged merchant ships, the Vikrant’s Sea Hawks struck shipping in the Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar harbors, sinking or incapacitating most merchant ships there.

The PNS Ghazi submarine was deployed to sink the INS Vikrant. However, she sank off Visakhapatnam harbor under mysterious circumstances.

Aircraft Carrier

INS Viraat in the Bay of Bengal

INS Viraat: INS Viraat was originally commissioned in the Royal Navy as the HMS Hermes on November 18, 1959 . In a wartime scenario, the INS Viraat can embark up to 18 combat aircraft. INS Viraat is ideally suited for two missions: supporting amphibious operations and conducting ASW operations. Despite its age and range considerations, INS Viraat can quite effectively project naval and air power anywhere in the South Asia region. In 2004, India bought the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov from Russia for US$1.5 billion; it is expected to enter service in 2012 as INS Vikramaditya, when it will replace the Viraat.

Current Inventory of the Naval Air Arm

Aircraft

Mig-29KUB

Mikoyan MiG-29: The MiG-29K program was revived by Russia in response to the decision of the Indian Navy to acquire the Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.

A Sea Harrier takes off from INS Viraat

BAE Sea Harrier: The BAE Sea Harrier operates from the INS Viraat The upgrades are expected to be performed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Tupolev Tu-142: The Indian Navy operates eight Tu-142 aircraft. The aircraft was inducted into service in the year 1988. Upgrading of the aircraft are taking place, which helps to extend the service life of the aircraft by sixteen years. One the upgraded aircraft has been handed over to the Indian Navy. The eight aircraft will be fitted with the Brahmos cruise missiles.

Heron UAV

UAV: The Indian Navy currently has one squadron (INAS 342) that operates the Heron and Searcher Mk-II UAV’s. There are plans to have at least three squadron of UAV’s.

Helicopters

Dhruv of the Indian Navy.

A Sea King assigned to the destroyer INS Mumbai.

HAL Dhruv Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with MBB of Germany (now Eurocopter Deutschland), the Navy received it’s first Dhruvs on 28 March 2002. It is expected to receive a total of 120 units to replace the Chetak helicopters in service. The naval variant is fitted with the Super Vision-2000 maritime radar, capable of detecting targets with low radar cross section at a range of 200 km. The anti-submarine version of the helicopter is fitted with dunking sonar, torpedoes, depth charges. The helicopter may also be fitted with the missiles for anti-ship roles.

Kamov Ka-25 Hormone, Kamov Ka-28 Helix-A, and the Kamov Ka-31 Helix-B: The KA-25 was acquired by the Indian Navy in 1980 for anti-submarine warfare, but had severe technological limitations. The KA-28 were acquired in the mid-80s, and were said to be a quantum leap over their predecessors from an ASW standpoint. The KA-31 takes the Kamov capabilities even further by enabling real-time network-centric warfare for the Indian Navy.

Westland Sea King and the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King: Used principally for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search & rescue roles, the helicopeter fleet operate from INS Garuda (Kochi) as well as INS Kunjali-II (Mumbai) air stations. US sanctions on India in response to India’s nuclear tests resulted in a large part of the Sea King fleet being grounded for want of spare parts.

Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III: Also known as the Chetak, these choppers have seen active service in the Navy as well as the Coast Guard. They are carried on several combatant as well as non-combatant ships. They are also operated from and maintained at the INS Kunjali-II and INS Utkrosh Naval Air Stations in Mumbai and Port Blair respectively.

Naval Aircraft Inventory

The Navy operates 185 aircraft, including 18 combat jets, 108 helicopters and 12 UAV’s.

Aircraft
Origin
Type
Versions
In service
Notes

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum
Russia
Fighter

Trainer
MiG-29K

MiG-29KUB
5

1
16 ordered. Delivery underway.

BAE Sea Harrier
United Kingdom
Fighter

Trainer
FRS 51

T 60
13

4
23 FRS 51 delivered

Tupolev Tu-95 Bear
Russia
Maritime patrol
Tupolev Tu-142 Bear-F
8

Ilyushin Il-38 May
Russia
Maritime patrol

5
Being Upgraded.

Dornier Do 228
Germany

India
Utility transport
Do 228-101

Do 228-201
1

HAL HJT-16 Kiran
India
Trainer

Britten-Norman Islander
United Kingdom
Utility transport
BN-2
14

HAL Dhruv
India
Utility helicopter

Westland Sea King
United Kingdom
Naval helicopter
Sea King 42

Sea King 42A

Sea King 42B

Sea King 42C
6

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King
United States
Utility helicopter
UH-3H
6

Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III
India
Utility helicopter
SA 316B

SA 319
30

25
built by HAL

Kamov Ka-25 Hormone
Russia
Naval helicopter

Kamov Ka-28 Helix-A
Russia
Naval helicopter

13 (incl. of 3 trainers)

Kamov Ka-31 Helix-B
Russia
Naval helicopter

Mil Mi-2 Hoplite
Poland
Utility helicopter

2
built by PZL

HAL HPT-32 Deepak
India
Basic trainer

IAI Heron
Israel
UAV

IAI Searcher MkII
Israel
UAV

Future Aircraft Carriers

Image:Project 71 Aircraft carrier.gif
Vikrant class aircraft carrier will join the Indian Navy in 2012.
This image is a candidate for speedy deletion. It may be deleted after seven days from the date of nomination.

Vikrant class aircraft carrier:In April 2005, India began construction of a 37,500 tonne Vikrant class aircraft carrier at a cost of Rs.40 billion and scheduled to operate 30 aircraft, including Naval LCA, MiG-29K, and Sea Harrier combat aircraft, as well as HAL Dhruv, Ka-31, and Sea King Mk.42 helicopters. Four turbine engines will power the ship. The carrier is being constructed by state-run Cochin Shipyard Limited.

INS Vikramaditya: On January 20, 2004, after years of negotiations, Russia and India signed a deal for the sale of the ship, the then-Admiral Gorshkov. The ship was free, while India will pay US$800 million for upgrade and refit of the ship, as well as at least an additional $1bn for the aircraft and weapons systems. The Navy looked at equipping the carrier with the E- 2C, but decided not to. The deal also includes the purchase of 12 single-seat MiG-29K ‘Fulcrum-D’ (Product 9.41) and 4 dual-seat MiG-29KUB aircraft (with an option for 14 more aircraft)$1bn, 6 Kamov Ka-31 “Helix” reconnaissance and anti-submarine helicopters, torpedo tubes, missile systems, and artillery units. Facilities and procedures for training pilots and technical staff, delivery of simulators, spare parts, and establishment maintenance on Indian Navy facilities are also part of the contract. The announced delivery date for INS Vikramaditya was August 2008, an ambitious schedule, but one that would allow the carrier to enter service in 2009, around the time as light carrier INS Viraat (formerly HMS Hermes, last of the Centaur class) was scheduled to retire. The new ship will berth at the new Indian Navy facility in Karwar, on India’s west coast. The INS Viraat’s retirement is now set for 2010-2012. The sea trials of INS Vikramaditya are expected to begin by 2010 and delivery is expected by 2012.

Aircraft Under Development and Future Aircraft

HAL Tejas

HAL Tejas:The naval variant of the Tejas will have strengthened landing gear and other necessary modifications for service on an aircraft carrier. Two Naval prototypes will be built, the NP-1 (Naval Prototype-1) which will be a two seat variant and NP-2 (Naval Prototype-2), a single seat variant for carrier operations. The Tejas is expected to be delivered before 2012.

HAL HJT-36.

ASP Airavat during the tests in 1996

Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (30): The Indian Navy issued an RFP for eight maritime patrol aircraft. The plan is to induct up to thirty new maritime patrol aircraft by 2020. The bidders are

BAE (Nimrod)

Boeing (P-8A MMA)

Lockheed (P-3C Orion)

Northrop-Grumman (Global Hawk)
- EADS (AT3 Atlantique presumably, a smaller twin-engine turboprop)

Rosoboronexport (IL-38 “May” and TU-142 “Bear”, both currently in service)

Dassault (Falcon 900 MPA)

The P-8I Poseidon aircraft will undergo field trials in India.

Airavat (formerly ASP)

17 Hawk Trainer

HAL HJT-36

20 ASW Helicopters (to replace Sea King)

40 Unmanned helicopters

Personnel and Structure

The 5000-person

Western Command

Established in 1986, the Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA) is headquartered in Goa, and is responsible for all naval aviation aspects. The Directorate of Naval Air Staff at Naval HQ has centralized functions like laying down the general principles of operational deployment, organisation, administration and operational/training standards for the flying units. On the other hand, FONA controls training, maintenance and other functions of naval aviation. Aircraft yards at Kochi, Kerala and Dabolim, Goa are responsible for maintaining the fleet’s air arm.

Eastern Command

To protect and preserve India’s growing trade with Southeast Asia and offer a bulwark against Chinese dominance in the Bay of Bengal, a new naval base is being built near Visakhapatnam. It is expected to be capable of harboring two aircraft carriers, including the new Vikrant-class aircraft carrier that is being planned.

Southern Command

It has at least one airfield.

Andaman & Nicobar Command

A fighter squadron is expected to be based in Port Blair in the future, to bolster the strength of the squadron of Mi-8 helicopters currently operating there.

Gallery

Admiral Gorshkov, Soon to become INS Vikramaditya.

Chetak landing.