Indian Naval Air Arm - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Indian Naval Air Arm is part of the Indian Navy

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...

which is tasked to provide an aircraft carrier based strike capability, fleet air defence, maritime 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

INS Viraat

INS Viraat is a Centaur class aircraft carrier currently in service with the Indian Navy. INS Viraat is the flagship of the Indian Navy, the oldest carrier in service and one of two aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean Region.The Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy's...

carries a complement of Sea Harrier aircraft and Kamov, Sea King, Chetak and Dhruv helicopters. The Kamov Ka-31

Kamov Ka-27

|-See also:-External links:*...

provides AEW support for the fleet. In the anti-submarine role, the Sea King

Westland Sea King

The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...

, Ka-28 and the indigenously-built HAL Dhruv

HAL Dhruv

The HAL Dhruv is a utility helicopter developed and manufactured by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited . Dhruv was first announced in November 1984. The ALH was designed with assistance from MBB in Germany. The Dhruv first flew in 1992; but, due to the changing demands of the Indian Army and...

are used. The MARCOS

MARCOS (India)

MARCOS is an elite special operations unit of the Indian Navy. "MARCOS" is short for "Marine Commandos"....

use Sea King and HAL Dhruv helicopters while conducting operations. Reconnaissance operations are carried out by Tupolev Tu-142

Tupolev Tu-142

The Tupolev Tu-142 is a maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft derived from the Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber. A specialised communications variant designated Tu-142MR was tasked with long-range communications duties with Soviet ballistic missile submarines...

s, Ilyushin Il-38

Ilyushin Il-38

|-See also:-References:*Lake, Jon. "Russia's Submarine Killer: Ilyushin IL-38 May". Air International, February 2005, Vol 68 No.2. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. pp. 30–36....

s, Dornier Do 228

Dornier Do 228

The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH from 1981 until 1998. In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics bought a production licence and manufactures the 228 for the Asian market sphere. Approximately 270 Do 228 were built at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and...

s and also by HAL Chetak helicopters. The UAV

Unmanned aerial vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...

arm consists of around 30 UAVs, such as Heron

IAI Heron

The IAI Heron is a Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the Malat division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance operations of up to 52 hours' duration at up to 35,000 feet...

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

Sagar Pawan

Sagar Pawan is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Indian Navy's Aviation Arm. It is one of the only two naval aerobatic teams in the world, the other being the Blue Angels of the US Navy....

. The Sagar Pawan team will be replacing the present HJT-16 Kiran

HAL Kiran

-See also:-See also:...

with the HJT-36

HAL HJT-36

The HAL HJT-36 Sitara is a subsonic intermediate jet trainer aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy...

. The HJT-36 will also be used in training pilots.

History

The first naval air station, INS Garuda

INS Garuda Kochi

INS Garuda , is an Indian naval air station located near Kochi, India. Commissioned on 11 May 1953, this is the oldest operating air station of the Indian Navy.The air station is adjacent to the Headquarters of Southern Command of Indian Navy...

, was inaugurated in Cochin on 11 May 1953. This went hand-in-hand with the commissioning of the No.550 Squadron, utilizing Short Sealand aircraft. and Fairey Firefly

Fairey Firefly

The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm ....

aircraft

1960 saw the No.300 White Tigers Squadron, consisting of Sea Hawks aircraft being commissioned.

In the very next year (1961), INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.Her keel was laid down on 12 November 1943 by Vickers-Armstrong on the Tyne and she was launched on 22 September 1945....

(formerly HMS Hercules) was acquired by the Indian Navy. The Vikrants initial airwing consisted of British Hawker Sea Hawk

Hawker Sea Hawk

The Hawker Sea Hawk was a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm , the air branch of the Royal Navy , built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its origins stemmed from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the...

fighter-bombers and a French Alize

Breguet Alizé

|-See also:-References:*Michell, Simon. . Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.-External links:*...

anti-submarine aircraft. On 18 May 1961, the first jet landed on board, piloted by Lieutenant (later Admiral) R H Tahiliani. That year, the No.310 Cobras Squadron (consisting of Alize aircraft ) was commissioned. After playing an important role in several major Indian military actions, specifically the liberation of Goa and the India-Pakistan war in 1971, she was decommissioned in January 1997 and turned into a museum ship.

In 1976, the Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...

handed over Super Constellation aircraft to the No.312 Albatross Squadron in Dabolim, Goa. Being fairly old aircraft at that point, these were withdrawn from active service by 1983. The No.315 Winged Stallions Squadron was commissioned in 1977 with the Ilyushin Il-38

Ilyushin Il-38

|-See also:-References:*Lake, Jon. "Russia's Submarine Killer: Ilyushin IL-38 May". Air International, February 2005, Vol 68 No.2. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. pp. 30–36....

aircraft.

Operation Vijay

The INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.Her keel was laid down on 12 November 1943 by Vickers-Armstrong on the Tyne and she was launched on 22 September 1945....

participated in Operation Vijay, the liberation of Goa

Goa

Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

from Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

. Its 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

INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.Her keel was laid down on 12 November 1943 by Vickers-Armstrong on the Tyne and she was launched on 22 September 1945....

played a major role in the successful Naval blockade of East Pakistan. Stationed off the Andaman & Nicobar islands along with Indian naval ships, INS Bramhaputra and INS Beas, the Vikrant redeployed towards Chittagong

Chittagong

Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...

at the outbreak of hostilities. The morning of 4 December 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 harbour. Future strikes targeted Khulna and Mongla. A PTI message is supposed to have read, "Chittagong harbour 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 10 December 1971.

Given naval intelligence that indicated the intent of the Pakistan Navy

Pakistan Navy

The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...

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 harbours, sinking or incapacitating most merchant ships there.

The PNS Ghazi

PNS Ghazi

PNS Ghazi was Pakistan Navy 's first ever submarine, leased from United States in 1963. It saw action in the 1965 and 1971 wars between India and Pakistan. The submarine could be armed with up to 28 torpedoes and, in later years, was re-fitted in Turkey for mine-laying capability...

submarine was deployed to sink the INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.Her keel was laid down on 12 November 1943 by Vickers-Armstrong on the Tyne and she was launched on 22 September 1945....

. However, she sank off Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was...

harbor under mysterious circumstances.

Aircraft Carrier

INS Viraat

was originally commissioned in the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

as HMS Hermes

HMS Hermes (R12)

HMS Hermes was a Centaur-class British aircraft carrier, the last of the postwar conventional aircraft carriers commissioned into the Royal Navy.-Construction and modifications:...

on 18 November 1959. While in the Royal Navy, Hermes was the flagship carrier during the Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...

campaign. The vessel was acquired by the Indian Navy

Indian Navy

in April 1986 following an extensive refit at Devonport Dockyard

HMNB Devonport

Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...

. Another refit followed between 1999 and 2001, which is expected to extend her useful life till 2010. However, there is some uncertainty around this retirement date. The second refit upgraded propulsion systems, added a package of sensors to sound emergency alerts, and introduced modern communication systems. In addition, long-range surveillance radar, weapon systems, and new hangar with fire curtains was installed. The lift system was revamped to reduce reaction time in the event of an attack and a new flood alarm system was installed. Another year of down time followed while the ship received the Israeli Barak surface-to-air missile

Barak SAM

Barak is an Israeli surface-to-air missile designed to be used as a point-defense missile system on warships, defending against aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs.-Barak I:...

system in 2004. 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.

Aircraft

Mikoyan
Mikoyan
Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG , or RSK MiG, is a Russian joint stock company. Formerly Mikoyan-and-Gurevich Design Bureau , then simply Mikoyan, it is a military aircraft design bureau, primarily designing fighter aircraft...

MiG-29K

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

Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov

Admiral Gorshkov was a modified Kiev class aircraft carrier of the Russian Navy, originally named Baku. Sometimes Gorshkov is considered a separate class due to its improvements including a phased array radar, extensive electronic warfare installations, and an enlarged command and control suite...

. As reported by MiG Bureau, the Indian Navy's association with the MiG-29K began in Apr 2002 when a team led by Commander Gupta reached Moscow to evaluate the MiG-29K prototype for possible induction into the Indian Navy. The Team evaluated the aircraft on ground as well as in the air (the flight evaluation was conducted by a Navy Test Pilot Commander Ahuja). Some other aircraft were also evaluated but the MiG-29K was chosen. The first 4 of the 16 aircraft contracted for were inducted into the Indian Navy late 2009. The Indian Navy is likely to buy 29 more of these aircraft. On 20 January 2004, the Indian Navy signed a contract for 12 single-seat MiG-29K and 4 two-seat MiG-29KUB 11(9+2)of 16 delevered. The first MIG-29K for the Indian Navy took flight on 22 January 2007. Though it is ready it is not yet in service. First four of the sixteen aircraft was expected to be delivered by September 2008. but has been delayed until the spring of 2009. The fighter plane is different from the MiG-29 flown by Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...

. The aircraft has been made ready for aircraft carrier operation by hardening the undercarriage. The aircraft also has much better over-the-nose vision to make it easy to land aboard a carrier at high angle of attack. The Naval version also has additional fuel carrying capacity as also a capacity to carry more weapons since there are a total of nine stations as against only seven with the Air Force version. The aircraft also has a full glass cockpit with three large size multi-function displays. Modifications were made for Indian Navy requirement featured Zhuk-ME radar, RD-33MK engine, combat payload up to 5,500 kg, 13 hardpoints (inclusive of the multi-lock bomb carriers), additional fuel tanks situated in dorsal spine fairing and wing LERXs, increased total fuel capacity by 50% comparing to first variant of MiG-29 and updated 4-channel digital fly-by-wire flight control system. With special coatings MiG-29K radar reflecting surface is 4-5 times smaller than of basic MiG-29. Cockpit displays consist of wide HUD and 3 (7 on MiG-29KUB) colour LCD MFDs and French Sigma-95 satellite GPS module and Topsight E helmet-mounted targeting system. Compatible with the full range of weapons carried by the MiG-29M and MiG-29SMT. The MIG-29 KUB ( two seat trainer) is similar to the MIG-29K but with reduced operational range. The aircraft will be fielded on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya is the new name for the former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which has been procured by India, and is estimated to enter service in the Indian Navy after 2012....

. A new squadron has been raised & is being christened "Black Panthers". It will get its first batch of four MiG-29K fighters later this year. The squadron will (initially IFTU, will be led by Cdr AD Theophilus, an ex-Sea Harrier pilot)

BAE Sea Harrier
BAE Sea Harrier
The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...

The BAE Sea Harrier operates from the INS Viraat

INS Viraat

. The BAE Sea Harrier FRS Mk.51 / T Mk.60 fly with the INAS 300 and INAS 552 squadrons of the Indian Navy. They were first acquired by the Indian Navy in the mid-1980s. After years of undergoing maintenance in the UK, the Indian Navy launched Project Ashok to set up a maintenance facility in Kochi in 1994. A mid-life upgrade in 1999 for these aircraft was cancelled when the decision was made to purchase MiG-29K air defence fighters, to be deployed aboard the INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya is the new name for the former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which has been procured by India, and is estimated to enter service in the Indian Navy after 2012....

(formerly Admiral Gorshkov). The Sea Harriers are armed with the Matra Magic-II AAM and the Sea Eagle Anti-ship missiles. The aircraft were upgraded with the Elta

Elta

ELTA Systems LTD is an Israeli provider of defense products and services specializing in radar, C4ISTAR, RF, SIGINT and EW products.Elta, a group and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, is one of Israel's major defence electronics companies specializing in a variety of fields...

EL/M-2032

The EL/M-2032 is an advanced pulse Doppler, multimode Fire Control Radar intended for multi-role fighter aircraft originated from the Lavi project. It is suitable for air-to-air and air-to-surface modes....

radar and the Rafael Derby BVRAAM missiles. Though the Sea Harriers were expected to remain in service with the Indian Navy till 2012-15, limited upgrades are being performed on these Sea Harriers by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited based in Bangalore, India, is one of Asia's largest aerospace companies. Under the management of the Indian Ministry of Defence, this state-owned company is mainly involved in aerospace industry, which includes manufacturing and assembling aircraft, navigation and...

(HAL), to extend the life of the aircraft by 15 years.

Tupolev Tu-142
Tupolev Tu-142
The Tupolev Tu-142 is a maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft derived from the Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber. A specialised communications variant designated Tu-142MR was tasked with long-range communications duties with Soviet ballistic missile submarines...

The Indian Navy

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 aircraft operates from INS Rajali and INS Hansa. Two Tu-142 aircraft are being fitted with the air launched version of the Brahmos

BrahMos

BrahMos is a stealth supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. It is a joint venture between Republic of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroeyenia who have together formed BrahMos Aerospace...

. The aircraft will be the test platform for the Brahmos cruise missiles. The integration and tests of the missile is expected to be completed by 2010. The eight aircraft will be fitted with the Brahmos cruise missiles.

UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...

The Indian Navy

Indian Navy

operates at least two squadrons of Heron

IAI Heron

and Searcher Mk-II

IAI Searcher

|-See also:-References:This article contains material that originally came from the web article by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain....

UAVs, based in Kochi

Kochi

-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...

and Porbandar

Porbandar

Porbandar is a coastal city in the Indian state of Gujarat, perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama...

. There are plans to have at least two more squadrons of UAVs. UAVs are operated from ships to increases the range of surveillance. There are plans to introduce rotary UAVs into the Indian Navy. These UAVs will have higher endurance and load carrying capability resulting in better reconnaissance capabilities.

Helicopters

HAL Dhruv

Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

, the Navy received its 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-25

|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. “The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995”. London, Osprey. 1995. ISBN 1 85532 405 9-External links:* http://www.aviation.ru/Ka/#25* http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/ka-25.php...

, Kamov Ka-28 Helix-A, and the Kamov Ka-31 Helix-B

Kamov Ka-31

|-See also:-External links:* *...

: The KA-25 was acquired by the Indian Navy in 1980 for anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....

, 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

Westland Sea King

and the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King: Used principally for anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....

(ASW) and search & rescue roles, the helicopter 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

Pokhran-II

Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five nuclear devices, three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998, conducted by India at the Pokhran test range. These nuclear tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by a number of major states....

resulted in a large part of the Sea King fleet being grounded for want of spare parts. Seventeen of the Sea King helicopters will be upgraded. The upgrade will feature day and night capability, capability to work in adverse weather conditions, integration of two anti-ship missiles with a range of fifty kilometres and a new radar.

Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III

Aérospatiale Alouette III

The Aérospatiale Alouette III is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by Sud Aviation. It was manufactured by Aérospatiale of France, and under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India as Hal Chetak and Industria Aeronautică Română in Romania.The Alouette III is the...

: 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

INS Utkrosh

INS Utkrosh , is an Indian naval air station located near Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.- History :The airfield at Port Blair was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to the Indian Navy on 9 March 1984...

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...

s in Mumbai and Port Blair respectively.

Naval Aircraft Inventory

The Navy operates 241 aircraft, including 22 (34 more added) combat jets, 13 tactical bombers, 145 helicopters and 30 UAVs.

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
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Mikoyan MiG-29K

Mikoyan MiG-29K

The Mikoyan MiG-29K is an all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Mikoyan design bureau. The MiG-29K was developed in the late 1980s from MiG-29M....

|| || Multi role Fighter

Trainer || MiG-29K

MiG-29KUB ||9

2 || 45 aircraft of the type have been ordered of which 37 are MiG 29K (9 of which have been delivered) and 8 are the two-seat MiG 29 KUB trainer variant. The first 12 Russian-made MiG-29K fighters to be deployed on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, formerly the Admiral Gorshkov.
|-----
|

BAE Sea Harrier

The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...

|| || Fighter

Trainer || FRS 51

T 60 ||8

3 ||Cleared to fly again after being grounded due to a harrier crash
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Tupolev Tu-142

Tupolev Tu-142

Bear || || Maritime patrol || Tu-142M || 8 ||To be replaced by P-8I Neptune
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|
Ilyushin Il-38 May

Ilyushin Il-38

|-See also:-References:*Lake, Jon. "Russia's Submarine Killer: Ilyushin IL-38 May". Air International, February 2005, Vol 68 No.2. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. pp. 30–36....

|| || Maritime patrol || Il-38SD || 5 || .
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|

Dornier Do 228

|| Utility transport || Do 228-101

Do 228-201 || 1

19 || To be replaced by NAL Saras
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|

HAL HJT-16 Kiran || || Trainer || || 20 || 12 Mk-I and 8 Mk-II.
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|
HAL Dhruv

HAL Dhruv

|| || Utility helicopter || || 8 ||
|-----
|rowspan="4"| Westland Sea King

Westland Sea King

||rowspan="4"| ||rowspan="4"| Naval helicopter || Sea King 42 Anti-submarine warfare version|| 5 || 12 built, 2 lost and 5 retired
|-----
||Sea King 42A Anti-submarine warfare version||2|| 3 built, 1 lost
|-----
||Sea King 42B Anti-ship warfare version||17|| 20 built, 3 lost
|-----
||Sea King 42C Search and rescue, utility transport version||5|| 5 built
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|

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King || || Anti Submarine Warfare Utility helicopter || UH-3H || 6 ||
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|
Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III

Aérospatiale Alouette III

|| || Utility helicopter || SA 316B

SA 319 || 30

25 || built by HAL
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Kamov Ka-25 Hormone

Kamov Ka-25

|| || Naval helicopter || || 7 ||
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|
Kamov Ka-28 Helix-A || || Anti Submarine Naval helicopter || || 13 (incl. of 3 trainers) ||
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|
Kamov Ka-31 Helix-B

Kamov Ka-31

|-See also:-External links:* *...

|| || AEW || || 9 ||
|-----
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HAL HPT-32 Deepak

HAL HPT-32 Deepak

-Bibliography:*Taylor, M.J.H. . Brassey's World Aircraft Systems Directory 1999/2000 Edition. London: Brassey's, 1999. ISBN 1 85753 245 7....

|| || Basic trainer || || 8 ||
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IAI Heron

IAI Heron

|| || UAV || || 12 ||
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|
IAI Searcher MkII

IAI Searcher

|-See also:-References:This article contains material that originally came from the web article by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain....

|| || UAV || || 18 ||

Future Aircraft Carriers

Vikrant class aircraft carrier:In April 2005, India began construction of a 40,000 tonne Vikrant class aircraft carrier at a cost of and scheduled to operate 30 aircraft, including Naval LCA

HAL Tejas

The HAL Tejas is a lightweight multirole fighter developed by India. It is a tailless, compound delta-wing design powered by a single engine. It came from the Light Combat Aircraft programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters...

, MiG-29K, and Sea Harrier combat aircraft, as well as HAL Dhruv

HAL Dhruv

, Ka-31

Kamov Ka-31

|-See also:-External links:* *...

, and Sea King Mk.42

H-3 Sea King

The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare helicopter. It served with the United States Navy and other forces, and continues to serve in many countries around the world. The Sea King has been built under license in Italy and Japan, and in the United Kingdom as the...

helicopters. Four turbine

Turbine

A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...

engines will power the ship. The carrier is being constructed by state-run Cochin Shipyard

Cochin Shipyard

Cochin Shipyard Limited is the largest ship building and maintenance facility in India. It is part of a line of maritime related facilities in the port-city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India....

Limited. and will be commissioned by 2012-13. The Indian Minister of State for Defence, Pallam Raju, went on record in September 2006 stating that the aircraft carrier is likely to be commissioned by 2011. There are plans to build more Indigenous aircraft carriers.

INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya is the new name for the former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which has been procured by India, and is estimated to enter service in the Indian Navy after 2012....

: On 20 January 2004, after years of negotiations, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

and India

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...

signed a deal for the sale of the ship, the then-Admiral Gorshkov

Soviet aircraft carrier 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-2D, 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

Kamov Ka-31

|-See also:-External links:* *...

"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

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

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

Karwar

Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...

, on India’s west coast. The INS Viraat’s retirement is now set for 2010-2012. The sea trials of INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya is the new name for the former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which has been procured by India, and is estimated to enter service in the Indian Navy after 2012....

are expected to begin by 2010 and delivery is expected by 2012.

Aircraft Under Development and Future Aircraft

HAL Tejas
HAL Tejas
The HAL Tejas is a lightweight multirole fighter developed by India. It is a tailless, compound delta-wing design powered by a single engine. It came from the Light Combat Aircraft programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters...

: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. The first flight of NP-1 is expected to take place by the end of 2008 but the carrier trials was delayed due to the delay in the delivery schedule of INS Vikramaditya
INS Vikramaditya
INS Vikramaditya is the new name for the former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which has been procured by India, and is estimated to enter service in the Indian Navy after 2012....

. Hence the trials will have to be carried out at the SBTF (Shore-based Test Facility) under construction at the naval airbase INS Hansa in Goa. Indian Navy plans to operate two squadrons (40 aircraft) of carrier borne Tejas aircraft from the two aircraft carries, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. Indian navy has placed an order for six Naval LCAs. At an approximate cost of per aircraft, that will provide a infusion into the Naval LCA programme. The Navy has a requirement of 50-60 Tejas aircraft. The first Naval prototype NP-1, was rolled out in July 2010. NP-1 which is undergoing taxi trials is expected to take to the skies in July 2011. Tejas will replace the Sea harriers in service with the Indian Navy.

P-8I Neptune: New Delhi and Boeing have inked a lucrative, $2.1 billion contract for the delivery of 12 P-8I Neptune sub hunters.The new aircraft will replace a fleet of Russian-manufactured Tupolev-142M planes. P-8I varies from the P-8A. The Magnetic anomaly detector
Magnetic anomaly detector
A magnetic anomaly detector is an instrument used to detect minute variations in the Earth's magnetic field. The term refers specifically to magnetometers used by military forces to detect submarines ; the military MAD gear is a descendent of geomagnetic survey instruments used to search for...

(MAD) has been kept intact while an aft-mounted radar provides 360 degree aerial radar surveillance capability. The aircraft is being readied for debut flight.

Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft: The Indian Navy issued an RFP for six medium-range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft. Possible ontenders include ATR-72MP
ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...

/ ATR-42MP
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....

, EADS C-295MPA
EADS CASA C-295
The EADS CASA C-295 is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft manufactured by Airbus Military in Spain.-Design and development:...

/C-235MPA
CASA CN-235
The CASA/IPTN CN-235 is a medium-range twin-engined transport plane that was jointly developed by CASA of Spain and IPTN of Indonesia as a regional airliner and military transport. Its primary military roles include maritime patrol, surveillance, and air transport...

, Dassault's Falcon 900MPA and Embraer P-99A platforms.

E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
E-2 Hawkeye
The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is an American all-weather, aircraft carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft. This twin-turboprop aircraft was designed and developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s by the Grumman Aircraft Company for the United States Navy as a replacement for the...

17 Hawk Trainer
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...

HAL HJT-36
HAL HJT-36
The HAL HJT-36 Sitara is a subsonic intermediate jet trainer aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy...

20 ASW Helicopters
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....

(to replace Sea King) Extended to 60 helos

15 NAL Saras aircraft have been ordered, mostly to replace the Dornier Do-228. The Navy has a requirement for 25 Saras aircraft and design changes are being conducted on the aircraft for using it in maritime environment. The first Naval Saras will roll out in 2014.

40 Unmanned helicopters. This helicopter is under development and will be based on the HAL-built Cheetah helicopters.

Rustom UAV

50 Light Helicopers

Personnel and Structure

The 5000-person Naval Air Arm is headed by Rear Admiral Vijay Shankar, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air).

Western Command

On the other hand, FONA controls training, maintenance and other functions of naval aviation. Aircraft yards at Kochi, Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

and Dabolim, Goa

Goa

are responsible for maintaining the fleet's air arm. An exclusive base, INS Shikra for helicopters was commissioned in Mumbai.

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

Visakhapatnam

. It is expected to be capable of harboring two aircraft carriers, including the new Vikrant-class aircraft carrier that is being planned.

Andaman & Nicobar Command

A fighter squadron is expected to be based in 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 future, to bolster the strength of the squadron of Mi-8

Mil Mi-8

The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....

helicopters currently operating there.

Muscat (Oman)

A new airbase will be setup in Muscat, Oman to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

Former aircraft

Armstrong Whitworth Sea Hawk - maritime strike
Breguet Alize
Breguet Alizé
|-See also:-References:*Michell, Simon. . Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.-External links:*...

- Carrier-based ASW
Hughes 269 - training helicopter
Lockheed Super Constellation - maritime patrol

External links

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