INS Rajali:
The Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command recently hosted a two-day seminar on Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) at INS Rajali, Arakkonam, underscoring India’s growing maritime responsibilities and surveillance capabilities.
- INS Rajali is an Indian Naval Air Station located near Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu.
- It was commissioned on March 11, 1992.
- It was named as ‘Rajali’, named after an aggressive bird of the Hawk family, predominant in the Tamil Nadu coastal belt.
- The air station is spread over 2,200 acres and is located 80 km west of Chennai.
- INS Rajali is the most modern and largest Naval Air Station, with a garrison strength of 4,700 personnel.
- It contributes towards two very distinct tasks -Operations and Training.
- It operates under the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy and has the longest military runway in Asia.
- It is home to the navy’s INAS 312 squadron which has been at the forefront of maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare with the P8I.
- Apart from hosting the P8I fleet, it also operates MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones, providing a technological edge for high-endurance operations in the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean.
- INS Rajali is also home to the navy’s Helicopter Training School
