INS Utkrosh
Encyclopedia
INS Utkrosh , is an Indian
naval air station
located near Port Blair
in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to the Indian Navy on 9 March 1984. It was initially commissioned as INS Jarawa II.
On 11 May 1985, the air station was formally commisioned as INS Utkrosh by then Prime Minister of India
, P. V. Narasimha Rao
. It is named for a bird of prey that is sacred to the native Jarawa tribe of the islands. Its location makes it an important strategic station for protecting India's maritime interests in the Bay of Bengal
. It also serves as an important facility for undertaking humanitarian operations, such as evacuation in case of medical emergencies from the remote islands.
The facilities at INS Utkrosh have been significantly upgraded. The runway has been lengthened to almost 11000 feet (3,352.8 m).
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
naval air station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
located near Port Blair
Port Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
History
The airfield at Port BlairPort Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to the Indian Navy on 9 March 1984. It was initially commissioned as INS Jarawa II.
On 11 May 1985, the air station was formally commisioned as INS Utkrosh by then Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, P. V. Narasimha Rao
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparti Venkata "Narasimha Rao" was the ninth Prime Minister of India . He led an important administration, overseeing a major economic transformation and several home incidents affecting national security of India. Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj. He is often referred to as...
. It is named for a bird of prey that is sacred to the native Jarawa tribe of the islands. Its location makes it an important strategic station for protecting India's maritime interests in the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
. It also serves as an important facility for undertaking humanitarian operations, such as evacuation in case of medical emergencies from the remote islands.
The facilities at INS Utkrosh have been significantly upgraded. The runway has been lengthened to almost 11000 feet (3,352.8 m).
Units
Indian Naval Air Squadrons based at INS Utkrosh include:- INAS 318, a reconnaissanceReconnaissanceReconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
squadron