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Navy chief calls for enhanced preparedness

Rahi Gaikwad

Speaks at commissioning of helicopter naval air station

Mumbai: The recent terror attacks in Mumbai, whose perpetrators breached Indian maritime borders to infiltrate the city, call for heightened vigilance and crisis preparedness from the Indian Navy, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Chief of Naval Staff, said here on Thursday. He was speaking at a ceremony organised for the commissioning of a helicopter naval air station INS Shikra.

“The fragile security environment in our neighbourhood requires the Navy to maintain a high state of preparedness to deal with any developing situation. INS Shikra has an important role to play towards enhancing the operational effectiveness of the fleet and also in augmenting local naval defence,” Mr. Mehta said at a stately function.

In terror-ridden times, the Navy has a key role to play using its capabilities in “heli-borne surveillance and deterrence,” the naval chief said. He cited the example of the Indian Navy’s anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

The naval air station in Colaba, Mumbai, previously known as Kunjali II, has been in existence since 1964. It would only handle operations which included maintenance of helicopters from ships landing at the base. Recently, it served as the landing point for the Indian Air Force helicopter used for the Nariman House operation, said a Defence spokesperson.

With the government sanction for INS Shikra, the station will now look into the administrative and financial aspects of the base as well. The Navy is planning to commission two more air squadrons at Visakhapatnam and another naval air station at Ramnad, Mr. Mehta said.

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