INS Hansa
Encyclopedia
INS Hansa, is an Indian
naval air station
located near Dabolim in Goa
, India. It is the only military air base in India with a civilian enclave, that operates as the Dabolim Airport
.
near Coimbatore
, Tamil Nadu
. It was initially co-located with the Sulur Air Force Base
of the Indian Air Force
. It was initially home to INAS 551 squadron, operating de Havilland Vampire
aircraft, as well as training establishments for Hawker Sea Hawk
and Breguet Alizé
aircraft.
After the liberation of Goa from Portuguese
occupation, Dabolim airfield was transferred to the Indian Navy
. INS Hansa was then moved to Dabolim on 18 June, 1964. The runway at the time was less than 7800 feet (2,377.4 m) in length.
Among the units based here are:
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
naval air station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
located near Dabolim in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India. It is the only military air base in India with a civilian enclave, that operates as the Dabolim Airport
Dabolim Airport
Dabolim Airport is located in the village of Dabolim in Goa, India. It is the only airport in the state and operates as a civil enclave in a military airbase named INS Hansa.-History :...
.
History
INS Hansa was commissioned on 5 September, 1961 at SulurSulur
Sulur is a town and one of a taluk in Coimbatore district. It is a suburb of Coimbatore, India. This is also a Legislative Constituency and is under the Coimbatore Parliament Constituency.-Demographics:...
near Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It was initially co-located with the Sulur Air Force Base
Sulur Air Force Base
Sulur Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base located at Kangayampalayam in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. This Air base was established in the year 1940 by RN of the then British Raj. This was a strategic base during World War II for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm: “Royal Navy Air Squadron”....
of the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
. It was initially home to INAS 551 squadron, operating de Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
aircraft, as well as training establishments for Hawker Sea Hawk
Hawker Sea Hawk
The Hawker Sea Hawk was a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm , the air branch of the Royal Navy , built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its origins stemmed from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the...
and Breguet Alizé
Breguet Alizé
|-See also:-References:*Michell, Simon. . Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.-External links:*...
aircraft.
After the liberation of Goa from Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
occupation, Dabolim airfield was transferred to the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
. INS Hansa was then moved to Dabolim on 18 June, 1964. The runway at the time was less than 7800 feet (2,377.4 m) in length.
Units
Over 2000 naval personnel and 1000 civilians are employed at INS Hansa. It is home to 8 Indian Naval Air Squadrons (INAS).Among the units based here are:
- INAS 300, operating BAe Sea HarrierBAE Sea HarrierThe British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
fighter aircraft - INAS 303, operating Mikoyan MiG-29KMikoyan MiG-29KThe Mikoyan MiG-29K is an all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Mikoyan design bureau. The MiG-29K was developed in the late 1980s from MiG-29M....
fighters - INAS 310, operating Dornier Do 228Dornier Do 228The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH from 1981 until 1998. In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics bought a production licence and manufactures the 228 for the Asian market sphere. Approximately 270 Do 228 were built at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and...
aircraft in electronic warfare roles - INAS 315, operating the Il-38 anti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
aircraft - INAS 321, operating HAL Chetak helicopters for search and rescueSearch and rescueSearch and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
- INAS 551, operating HAL HJT-16 Kiran jet trainers
- INAS 552, operating Harrier T-60Harrier Jump JetThe Harrier, informally referred to as the Jump Jet, is a family of British-designed military jet aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations...
trainers