Indian Navy commissions MH-60R helicopter squadron at INS Hansa
NEW DELHI: In a planned move to carry out modernisation and capability enhancement, the Indian Navy on Wednesday commissioned a Squadron of MH-60R Helicopters at INS Hansa, Goa, the first operational squadron on the Western Seaboard. The Indian Navy said, These helicopters will significantly augment the Indian Navys integral aviation capabilities on the Western Seaboard. The squadron, named Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 335 (Ospreys), was commissioned in the presence of Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, the Navy Chief said. 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. 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. Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Tripathi said, The induction of the versatile, multi-role MH60R helicopter on the Western Seaboard, as the first operational squadron, marks an important milestone for our Navy. The Indian Navy, as reported earlier by The New Indian Express , commissioned its first six multi-role MH-60 R helicopters in March this year as part of the IN Air Squadron 334 Seahawks. A total of 24 MH-60R contracted in February 2020 at the cost of Rs 15,000 crore ($2.13 billion) are planned to be inducted by next year. The helicopter is designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). The biggest ships of the Indian Navy form part of its two Fleets. A Fleet is a group of ships that operate under one authority. The Indian Navy's Western Fleet is based at Mumbai, and the Eastern Fleet is based at Visakhapatnam. The maritime environment around us, today, is more complex and contested than ever before. Shifting geopolitics, fast-moving technologies, and an expanding spectrum of threats from grey-zone activities to supply chain disruptions at sea are shaping this new reality. It is within this challenging and dynamic strategic context that India is undertaking its maritime voyage towards becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047. Strengthening maritime security and deterrence, therefore, are fundamental to safeguarding our sea lines of communications, and growing national maritime interests., said Navy Chief While the 335 Squadron is being formally commissioned today here at Goa, the MH-60R helicopter has already proven its prowess across multiple missions during Operation Sindoor, TROPEX-25, and in the recently concluded Tri-Services Exercise 2025. I am, therefore, happy to note that the Squadron being commissioned today is fully operational, ready to deploy with the Fleet from day one, reflecting our deep commitment to expeditious capability induction and integration, he added. The operationalisation of the capabilities of this platform is part of the self-reliance plan, as the simultaneous pursuit of integration of indigenous weapons and sensors on this helicopter, in close collaboration with industry, in keeping with the Indian Navys commitment to Aatmanirbharta. It is a matter of pride that several critical equipment on this platform from Software-Defined Radios and Data Links, to weapons such as Depth Charges and, in the near future, Missiles are fully Made in India. The Indian Navy has also indigenously developed the infrastructure, training systems and maintenance capabilities necessary to sustain these platforms aligned with our vision of Aatmanirbharta, the Naval Chief added. 2025 marks 75 years since the Government of India approved the formation of a Fleet Air Arm, thereby transforming the Navy into a potent multi-dimensional force, and giving us a decisive edge at sea. The INS Hansa at Goa is an important Naval air station, as in 2022, the second P8I air squadron was commissioned at this very airbase, augmenting the Navys shore-based fixed-wing capabilities to operate across domains. Navy Chief, talking about the capability enhancement, said, Complementing the P8Is, the Indian Navy is progressing the acquisition of 15 MQ-9B Sea Guardian RPAs, which will significantly enhance our ability to maintain persistent maritime surveillance, and comprehensive Maritime Domain Awareness, across our maritime areas of interest. In addition to building its shore-based aviation capabilities, the Indian Navy has maintained an unwavering focus on the enhancement of the integral shipborne aviation capabilities both fixed and rotary wing. It is in this context that the recent signing of the contract for 26 Rafale-M carrier-borne aircraft assumes particular significance, strengthening our long-range maritime strike and land-attack capabilities, as well as Fleet Air Defence. Highlighting the overall capability, Admiral Tripathi highlighted that Complementing the deck-based fighters, rotary-wing platforms, that include the shipborne Uncrewed Aviation Systems, extend the Fleet's ability to undertake persistent surface and air surveillance, standoff anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, logistics support, and search-and-rescue at sea.
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