Digital Goa, December, 17 – The Indian Navy commissioned its second MH 60R helicopter squadron, INAS 335, the ‘Ospreys’, in the presence of Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), at INS Hansa, Dabolim today. The event follows the commissioning of the first MH-60R Naval Air Squadron in Kochi, Kerala, in March 2024. “It is a matter of even greater significance that, precisely 64 years ago, on the night of 17/18 Dec 1961, commenced Operation Vijay, wherein ships of the Indian Navy sailed into Goa, to liberate it from the Portuguese. There too, Naval Aviation played a part, with the erstwhile Vikrant and its integral air wing stationed just beyond the horizon, securing the approaches to Goa,” the CNS said. These helicopters will significantly augment the Indian Navy’s integral aviation capabilities on the Western Seaboard. The advanced weapons, sensors and avionics suite make the helicopter a versatile and capable asset for the Indian Navy, offering enhanced capabilities to address conventional as well as asymmetric threats. The aircraft has been fully integrated with fleet operations and has proven its worth on numerous occasions. The Indian Navy will receive a significant fillip in its integral aviation capabilities with the commissioning of the squadron.
