INAS 303

Last updated

INAS 303
INAS303 Insignia.png
INAS 303 Insignia
Active11 May 2013 - present [1]
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Branch Naval Ensign of India.svg Indian Navy
Garrison/HQ INS Hansa
Nickname(s)The Black Panthers [1]
Aircraft flown
Fighter Mikoyan MiG-29K

The INAS 303 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Hansa. [2]

History

Indian Navy had contracted for acquisition of 16 MiG 29K/KUB carrier based fighter aircraft with RAC MiG on 20 January 2004. Aircraft deliveries began in December 2009 and all 16 aircraft of the main contract were delivered and accepted by the Indian Navy. An option clause contract for 29 additional aircraft was also signed on 8 March 2010. The option was exercised, with delivery of the last of these aircraft scheduled for the end of 2016. Based on the exploitation experience, the first MiG-29K frontline squadron was commissioned on 11 May 2013 at INS Hansa, Goa. Captain Ajay D. Theophilus was the commissioning Commanding Officer. [3]

Related Research Articles

INS <i>Vikramaditya</i> Modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier

INS Vikramaditya is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier and the flagship of the Indian Navy. She entered into service in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dabolim Airport</span> Airport in Mormugão, Goa, India

Dabolim Airport is an international airport serving the state of Goa, India. It is the primary airport of the state of Goa. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as a civil enclave in an Indian Navy naval airbase named INS Hansa. The airport is located in Dabolim, in South Goa district, 4 km (2.5 mi) from the nearest city of Vasco da Gama, 23 km (14 mi) from Margao, and about 30 km (19 mi) from the state capital, Panaji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikoyan MiG-29K</span> Carrier-based multirole combat aircraft

The Mikoyan MiG-29K is a Russian all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Mikoyan Design Bureau. The MiG-29K was developed in the late 1980s from the MiG-29M. Mikoyan describes it as a 4+ generation aircraft.

The Indian Naval Air Arm is the aviation branch and a fighting arm of the Indian Navy which is tasked to provide an aircraft carrier based strike capability, fleet air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare.

INS Rajali, is an Indian naval air station located near Arakkonam, Ranipet district, Tamil Nadu in southern India. It operates under the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, and has the longest military runway in Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INS Hansa</span> Airport in Goa, India

INS Hansa, is an Indian naval air station located near Dabolim in Goa, India. It is India's biggest naval airbase. The military air base has a civil enclave, that operates as Dabolim Airport.

INS<i> Dega</i> Airport in Visakhapatnam, India

INS Dega, is a naval air station of the Indian Navy. It is located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of India.

INS <i>Vikrant</i> (2013) Indian Navy aircraft carrier

INS Vikrant is an aircraft carrier in service with Indian Navy. The carrier is the first to be built in India and was constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, Kerala. The namesake Vikrant is a tribute to India's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (1961). Vikrant means "courageous" in Sanskrit. The motto of the ship, "जयेम सं युधिस्पृधः" (Sanskrit), means "I defeat those who fight against me"(English).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INAS 300</span> Military unit

The INAS 300 is the longest serving combat unit of the Indian Navy, based at INS Hansa.

The INAS 310 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Hansa. Earlier it was shifted from INS Hansa to INS Sardar patel but later it was re-shifted to INS Hansa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INAS 311</span> Military unit

The INAS 311 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Dega, Visakhapatnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INAS 312</span> Military unit

The INAS 312 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Rajali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INAS 315</span> Military unit

The INAS 315 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Hansa, Goa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INAS 333</span> Military unit

The INAS 333 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Dega, Visakhapatnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INAS 339</span> Military unit

The INAS 339 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Hansa, Goa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INAS 551</span> Military unit

The INAS 551 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Dega, Visakhapatnam.

The INAS 323 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Hansa, Goa. It operates the multi-role helicopter HAL Dhruv in maritime configuration. The primary role of the squadron is Search and Rescue, Special Operations and Coastal Surveillance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajay D. Theophilus</span>

Rear Admiral Ajay Daniel Theophilus is a serving flag officer of the Indian Navy. He currently serves as the Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA) and Flag Officer Goa Naval Area (FOGA). He previously served as the Deputy Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy (INA). He earlier served as the Commanding Officer of INS Hansa and was the commissioning commanding officer of the first Mikoyan MiG-29K naval air squadron INAS 303.

References

  1. 1 2 "All you need to know about the INAS 303 Black Panthers". Defence News. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "INAS 303 - The Black Panthers". Indian Navy. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "MIG 29K | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.