The Indian navy has commissioned its first fighter squadron in three decades with the 303 ‘Black Panthers’ squadron getting formal status but will have to wait till the end of this year for the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to arrive from Russia to start sea-borne operations.
The new Indian Navy Air Squadron (INAS), commissioned at a ceremony led by Defence Minister A K Antony, operates the MiG 29 K fighters that were inducted into service in 2010 and have been going through trials and training missions over the past three years before the arrival of the carrier.
The commissioning marks the beginning of an eventful year for the Navy that is set to see many of its major projects reach critical milestones in the coming month. The first will be the activation of the nuclear reactor on board the INS Arihant nuclear missile submarine later this month, following which the vessel will go for sea trials before a formal commissioning by next year. The indigenous aircraft carrier that is being constructed in Kochi will also be ‘launched’ at a ceremony on August 12, marking a milestone in its developmental cycle, Antony announced.
The naval squadron, which has been nicknamed ‘Black Panthers’, is the first fighter squadron to be commissioned after the Sea Harrier fighters were inducted in December 1983.
The new fighters will give a major edge due to their modern avionics, range and weapons suite that has been compared to the best in the world. The navy has termed the new squadron ‘the game changers’ to reflect the increase in capability. The squadron has been christened as the 303 after the .303 cartridge that revolutionised warfare in the mid 19 th century with its now legendary design. With 29 additional fighters on order from Russia as part of a $1.2 billion follow on contract, the navy will induct another fighter squadron within the next two years.
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