INS Hansa: In News
The Indian Navy commissioned its second MH-60R helicopter squadron, INAS 335, also known as the ‘Ospreys’, at INS Hansa, Vasco da Gama, Goa.
- INS Hansa is an Indian Naval Air Station located near Dabolim, Goa.
- It is the largest naval airbase in India and houses some of the Indian Navy’s premier air squadrons.
- The base includes a civil enclave, which functions as Dabolim Airport, handling domestic and international flights round-the-clock.
- The station was originally commissioned on at Sulur near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and was initially co-located with the Indian Air Force’s Sulur Air Force Station.
- Following the liberation of Goa, the Navy took over Dabolim airfield in 1962, and INS Hansa was relocated to Dabolim in 1964.
- INS Hansa has earlier witnessed key capability additions, including the commissioning of the second P-8I maritime patrol aircraft squadron in 2022, strengthening shore-based fixed-wing naval operations.
- The Navy is also progressing the acquisition of 15 MQ-9B Sea Guardian remotely piloted aircraft, which will enable persistent maritime surveillance and enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
- Although formally commissioned at Goa, the MH-60R helicopters have already demonstrated operational effectiveness in Operation Sindoor, TROPEX-25, and the Tri-Services Exercise 2025.
