By Capt. (Dr.) RC Muni (Retd) · Defence faculty, The Cavalier
A modern warship fights with more than its own guns and missiles. Its eyes and its reach come from aircraft: fighters that fly off a carrier, patrol jets that watch thousands of square kilometres of ocean, and helicopters that hunt submarines from a frigate's deck. The Indian Navy keeps all three in its own naval aviation arm, also called the Fleet Air Arm, separate from the Indian Air Force. Defence papers ask about its aircraft, air stations and dates, and a candidate who wants to fly for the Navy will be asked about them at the board.
This is the aviation section of the Indian Navy part of our Defence GK library. It gives the history with dates, the air stations in one table, how squadrons are numbered, a fleet snapshot with a month and source on every figure, and the mix-ups that cost marks.
From the First Sealand to the Carrier Air Wings
PIB's history of the arm, issued when the President presented the Colour to Naval Aviation in September 2021, says it came into being with the first Sealand aircraft, acquired on 13 January 1951. The first home for such aircraft followed two years later.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 11 May 1953 | INS Garuda is commissioned at Kochi: the first Naval Air Station |
| 1958 to 1959 | Armed Firefly aircraft arrive (1958); INAS 550 forms (1959); a Naval Jet Flight forms at Coimbatore with Sea Hawk, Alizé and Vampire |
| 4 Mar 1961 | INS Vikrant, the first aircraft carrier, is commissioned, with Sea Hawk fighters and Alizé aircraft |
| 5 Sep 1961 | INS Hansa is commissioned; it moves to Dabolim, Goa, in June 1964 |
| Dec 1971 | Vikrant's Sea Hawks and Alizés strike Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Khulna and Mongla; the fleet blockades East Pakistan |
| 1976 to 1977 | Long-range patrol begins with Super Constellations from the IAF (1976), then the IL-38 (INAS 315, 1 Oct 1977) |
| 1983 | Sea Harriers join INAS 300 (33 years of service to 2016); Vikrant is refitted to operate them |
| 12 May 1987 | INS Viraat is commissioned, with the Sea Harriers |
| 16 Nov 2013 | INS Vikramaditya is commissioned with MiG-29K fighters; the first P-8I patrol jets also arrive in 2013 |
| 11 May 2016 | The Sea Harrier is retired at INS Hansa after 33 years; INAS 300 flies the MiG-29K |
| 2 Sep 2022 | The indigenous INS Vikrant is commissioned |
| 6 Mar 2024 | INAS 334 becomes the first MH-60R squadron, at INS Garuda |
The two Vikrants are different ships: the first was bought from Britain and decommissioned on 31 January 1997, the second was built at Cochin Shipyard. Carriers have their own page at Aircraft Carriers, and the fleets that sail with them are on Fleet Operations.
Accounts of the long-range patrol squadron INAS 312 give 16 April 1988 for the Tu-142M induction (INS Rajali itself was commissioned only in 1992); PIB's 2021 history says 1989. UPSC follows official figures, so if a question offers both years, check the other options first. For Vikrant, a question that says "commissioned" means 1961, not the 1957 acquisition.
Three Jobs, Three Kinds of Aircraft
Everything in naval aviation fits one of three jobs. The picture shows all three at once.
| Job | Aircraft in service or on order | Flies from |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier strike and air defence | MiG-29K fighters; Ka-31 early-warning helicopters; Rafale M on order | INS Vikramaditya, INS Vikrant; INS Hansa when ashore |
| Long-range patrol and submarine search | P-8I jets; Dornier-228 for shorter patrols; MQ-9B drones (leased, ordered) | Shore bases, chiefly Rajali and Hansa |
| Helicopters: submarine hunting, transport, rescue, coastal watch | MH-60R, ALH Mk III, Chetak, Sea King 42C | Ships' flight decks and air stations |
Indian carriers use STOBAR, short take-off but arrested landing. As PIB describes INS Vikrant, a ski-jump at the bow launches the aircraft and arrester wires stop them on landing. A MiG-29K and an LCA (Navy) prototype first landed on Vikrant on 6 February 2023, and the MiG-29K made its first night landing on 24 May 2023. PIB says her air wing can have 30 aircraft. The LCA (Navy) remains a trial aircraft. The submarine side of the contest is on Submarines, and INS Malvan and anti-submarine warfare covers a ship that works with these aircraft.
Naval Air Stations
PIB's 2021 history says the Navy has nine air stations and three naval air enclaves along the coast and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but does not list them. The table gives the stations that official releases name.
| Station | Place | What the official record says | Civil use |
|---|---|---|---|
| INS Hansa | Dabolim, Goa | Premier air station, commissioned 5 Sep 1961; MiG-29K squadrons (INAS 300, 303), INAS 316 (P-8I), INAS 335 (MH-60R), Dornier, Ka-31 and ALH units | Yes: civil flights (about 29,000 a year in 2021) |
| INS Garuda | Kochi | First air station (11 May 1953); INAS 334 (MH-60R); trains aviation observers; Southern Naval Command | Not stated |
| INS Rajali | Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu | Commissioned 11 Mar 1992; 80 km west of Chennai; the first eight P-8I; INAS 561, where Navy helicopter pilots train; Eastern Naval Command | Not stated |
| INS Dega | Visakhapatnam | ALH Mk III (INAS 324), Sea King 42C (INAS 350), Basic Hawk conversion course | Not stated |
| INS Shikra | Mumbai | Helicopter station: Sea King 42C and ALH flights, a Marine Commando Flight | Not stated |
| INS Parundu | Near Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu | Chetak helicopters; one flew a sea rescue off Tuticorin on 26 Jul 2020 | Not stated |
| INS Utkrosh | Port Blair (now Sri Vijaya Puram) | Andaman and Nicobar Command's air station; INAS 325 (ALH Mk III), 31 May 2022 | Yes: one Port Blair airfield with Veer Savarkar International Airport |
| INS Baaz | Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar | PIB: the southernmost military airfield of India | Not stated |
The arm is run from Naval Headquarters by the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Air). The Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA) holds the post together with command of the Goa Naval Area, as PIB's December 2025 release shows. A dual-use air station with a civil enclave is planned at Karwar (PIB, April 2024). The commands that own these stations are on Naval Commands; the Andaman and Nicobar Command is with the Tri-Services pages.
PIB calls INS Hansa the Navy's "premier air station" (2021) and INS Rajali the "most modern and largest" (2024), with a garrison of 4,700 on 2,200 acres. Reference websites often say Hansa. UPSC follows official statements; the usual answer for "first" is Garuda.
INAS Squadrons and How They Are Numbered
INAS stands for Indian Naval Air Squadron, followed by a three-digit number and usually a bird or animal name. A smaller unit is a flight, like the "322 Dega Flight" of ALH helicopters PIB reported in June 2021. The Navy has not published a numbering rule, but the squadrons PIB names fall into a pattern. Use it as a memory aid, not a law.
| Numbers | Flown | Squadrons named in PIB releases |
|---|---|---|
| 30x | Carrier fighters | INAS 300 "White Tigers" (Sea Hawk, Sea Harrier 1983 to 2016, now MiG-29K); INAS 303 "Black Panthers" (MiG-29K) |
| 31x | Fixed-wing maritime patrol | INAS 310 "Cobras" (Alizé to 1991, now Dornier-228); INAS 312 "Albatross" (Rajali, first P-8I squadron); INAS 315 "Winged Stallions" (IL-38SD, 1977 to 31 Oct 2023); INAS 316 "Condors" (P-8I, 29 Mar 2022, INS Hansa) |
| 32x | ALH Mk III | INAS 323 "Harriers" (Hansa, 19 Apr 2021, first ALH Mk III squadron); INAS 324 "Kestrels" (Dega, 4 Jul 2022); INAS 325 (Utkrosh, 31 May 2022) |
| 33x | Ship-borne helicopters | INAS 334 "Seahawks" (MH-60R, Kochi, 6 Mar 2024); INAS 335 "Ospreys" (MH-60R, Hansa, 17 Dec 2025); INAS 339 "Falcons" (Ka-31) |
| 35x | Sea King and utility | INAS 350 "Saaras" (UH-3H until 28 Jun 2024; Sea King 42C continues) |
| 5xx | Training | INAS 550 (1959); INAS 561 (helicopter pilot training, Rajali) |
Fleet Snapshot, as of November 2026
The Navy does not publish a running count of its aircraft. PIB's last total, in September 2021, was more than 250 aircraft across fighters, patrol aircraft, helicopters and remotely piloted aircraft. Below is what has been announced by type. Where there is no official number, it says so.
| Type | Status as officially reported |
|---|---|
| MiG-29K | Flown by INAS 300 and 303 from INS Hansa and the two carriers (PIB, Sep 2021). No current count is published |
| Rafale M (ordered) | Agreement with France signed 28 Apr 2025 for 26 aircraft: 22 single-seat and four twin-seat; PIB says deliveries would be completed by 2030. Press reports say a Rafale M made a trial landing on INS Vikrant on 29 Oct 2026; as of 10 Nov 2026 we found no report of an aircraft delivered to India |
| P-8I | Eight from 2013 at Rajali, four more flying from Hansa since 30 Dec 2021 (PIB). More P-8I were cleared in principle on 12 Feb 2026, number not given |
| Dornier-228 | Mid-life upgrade of 25 Navy Dornier aircraft, Rs 2,890 crore, contracted Mar 2024 (PIB year-end review) |
| MH-60R | 24 ordered from the US (Feb 2020); two squadrons, INAS 334 and 335; nine were operational on ships by Dec 2024 (PIB) |
| ALH Mk III, Chetak, Sea King 42C, Kamov | ALH Mk III squadrons INAS 323, 324, 325; 16 on order in Apr 2021 (PIB). INAS 350 flies Sea King 42C after the UH-3H retired on 28 Jun 2024. Chetaks were on flood relief in Sep 2024; no retirement announced. No current Kamov numbers are published |
| MQ-9B | Tri-service buy of 31 (15 Sea Guardian, 16 Sky Guardian) cleared Jun 2023, contract with the US Oct 2024. On 17 Aug 2026: lease of two Sea Guardian for the Navy, 30 months, about Rs 1,943 crore. No delivery dates given |
| Trainers | Basic Hawk conversion at INS Dega (Jul 2025); the Rajali helicopter school had trained 849 pilots by Jun 2024 |
- 28 Nov 2025: five-year MH-60R sustainment agreements with the US, about Rs 7,995 crore.
- 17 Dec 2025: INAS 335 "Ospreys", second MH-60R squadron, commissioned at INS Hansa.
- 12 Feb 2026: Defence Acquisition Council cleared more P-8I aircraft in principle.
- Feb to Mar 2026: four release trials of the DRDO's ADC-150 air-droppable container from a P-8I off Goa; on 27 Mar a Rs 413 crore contract for depot-level inspection of the P-8I fleet in India.
- 29 Apr 2026: two NASM-SR anti-ship missiles fired in quick succession from a Navy helicopter off Odisha.
- 17 Aug 2026: MQ-9B Sea Guardian lease signed; see our note on the MQ-9B lease.
- 7 Sep 2026: Arudhra radars cleared to replace air-route surveillance radars at naval air stations.
- 29 Oct 2026: a Rafale M landed on INS Vikrant on its first attempt, press reports say.
Two Mix-Ups That Cost Marks
Some 2026 contracts have "Dornier" or "ALH Mk III" in the headline but are for the Indian Coast Guard. PIB says the 12 Feb 2026 contract for eight Dornier 228 aircraft (Rs 2,312 crore) and the 3 Mar 2026 contract for six ALH Mk III (Maritime Role) helicopters (Rs 2,901 crore) are both Coast Guard buys. See Coast Guard Dornier flights and the Coast Guard hub.
The old Vikrant was commissioned on 4 March 1961 and flew Sea Hawks and Alizés; the new one on 2 September 2022 and flies MiG-29K. INS Viraat was commissioned on 12 May 1987, one day off the 11 May that appears three times here: INS Garuda (1953), the Sea Harrier farewell (2016) and, per press reports, the first MiG-29K squadron, INAS 303 (2013). The IAF's squadrons are separate; see IAF Flying Squadrons.
Pages in the Naval Aviation Section
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Fighter Squadrons | INAS 300 and 303, the Sea Hawk to Sea Harrier to MiG-29K line, the Rafale M order |
| Maritime Patrol Aircraft | P-8I, Dornier-228, the retired IL-38 and Tu-142M, MQ-9B drones, and why patrol matters in the Indian Ocean |
| Helicopters | MH-60R, Sea King, Kamov, ALH Mk III, Chetak; anti-submarine versus utility roles |
| Aircraft Carriers | Vikrant, Viraat and Vikramaditya, and how a STOBAR carrier works |
| Navy Training Establishments, IAF Flying Squadrons | INS Garuda and the other Navy schools; the twin page on the Air Force side |
Exam pins
- First Sealand aircraft 13 January 1951; first air station INS Garuda, Kochi, 11 May 1953.
- INS Vikrant commissioned 4 March 1961 with Sea Hawk and Alizé; indigenous Vikrant on 2 September 2022.
- Sea Harrier (INAS 300): 1983 to 11 May 2016, retired at INS Hansa after 33 years; replaced by the MiG-29K.
- INS Viraat: 12 May 1987 to 6 March 2017. INS Vikramaditya: 16 November 2013.
- INS Hansa (Goa): 5 September 1961, shares its airfield with civil flights. INS Rajali (Arakkonam): 11 March 1992.
- INS Utkrosh is at Port Blair; INS Baaz at Campbell Bay is India's southernmost military airfield.
- INAS = Indian Naval Air Squadron. INAS 316 (P-8I): 29 March 2022. INAS 334 (first MH-60R): 6 March 2024. INAS 335: 17 December 2025.
- MH-60R: 24 ordered from the US. Rafale M: 26 ordered (22 + 4) on 28 April 2025.
- IL-38SD retired 31 October 2023; UH-3H retired 28 June 2024.
- The President's Colour went to Naval Aviation at INS Hansa on 6 September 2021.
Asked in past papers
Past papers ask for the platform behind a name and its country, not for squadron numbers. Four questions touch this page.
India signed a deal with which one of the following countries to supply MH-60R helicopters to the Indian Navy?
(a) Israel (b) France (c) Russia (d) USA
Answer: (d). The 24 MH-60R Seahawks came from the US Government under Foreign Military Sales (February 2020). France (b) is the tempting error because of the Rafale M; Russia (c) supplied the Kamov helicopters and MiG-29K, not this helicopter.
What is India's first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) called?
(a) Vikrant (b) Virat (c) Vaibhav (d) Varahe
Answer: (a). The indigenous carrier was commissioned as INS Vikrant on 2 September 2022. Virat (b) is the tempting choice: INS Viraat was a second-hand British carrier, decommissioned in March 2017.
INS Vikramaditya is the name of
(a) an aircraft carrier (b) a nuclear submarine (c) a memorial for the sailors (d) a naval hospital
Answer: (a). INS Vikramaditya, the former Russian Admiral Gorshkov, was commissioned on 16 November 2013 and flies MiG-29K fighters. The stored key for this paper had no answer entered; this one is checked against PIB's carrier history. Option (b) is a trap built on the Navy's leased Chakra submarines.
'Cheetah' and 'Chetak' are the names of
(a) Fighter aircrafts (b) Helicopters (c) Armoured vehicles (d) Infantry regiments
Answer: (b). Both are light helicopters; the Navy's Chetak was still flying in 2024, as PIB's flood-relief report shows. The stored key was blank here too. Fighter aircraft (a) is the slip, because the names sound like fast animals.
Practice MCQs (with answers)
- INS Garuda, the Navy's first naval air station, was commissioned at Kochi on
- 13 January 1951
- 11 May 1953
- 4 March 1961
- 5 September 1961
- The first air wing of the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (1961) was built around
- MiG-29K and Ka-31
- Sea Harrier and Sea King
- Sea Hawk fighters and Alizé aircraft
- Rafale M and MH-60R
- INAS 316 "Condors", commissioned at INS Hansa on 29 March 2022, flies the
- MH-60R helicopter
- Dornier-228
- IL-38SD
- P-8I
- INAS 334 "Seahawks", commissioned at INS Garuda in March 2024, was the Navy's first squadron of
- MH-60R helicopters
- ALH Mk III helicopters
- Ka-31 helicopters
- UH-3H helicopters
- Which naval air station shares the Port Blair airfield with a civil airport?
- INS Dega
- INS Rajali
- INS Utkrosh
- INS Parundu
- After the Sea Harrier retired in May 2016, INAS 300 was re-equipped with
- Rafale M
- MiG-29K
- LCA (Navy)
- Hawk
1-b, 2-c, 3-d, 4-a, 5-c, 6-b. Q1: 13 January 1951 is the first Sealand aircraft; the 1961 dates belong to Vikrant and INS Hansa. Q2: the Sea Harrier joined Vikrant only after her 1980s refit. Q3: the Dornier belongs to INAS 310 and the IL-38SD to INAS 315. Q5: Rajali is at Arakkonam, Dega at Visakhapatnam, Parundu near Ramanathapuram. Q6: the Rafale M is ordered but, as of 10 November 2026, not delivered; the LCA (Navy) is a trial aircraft; the Hawk is a trainer.
Where to Go Next
Read Fighter Squadrons, Maritime Patrol Aircraft and Helicopters next, then return to the Indian Navy hub and compare the Indian Air Force, the other flying service. Our career in the Indian Navy page explains entry routes, and boards ask what you know about the service, so keep our SSB interview tips open beside this page. Graduates enter through the CDS course to the Indian Naval Academy, which our CDS batches cover with weekly tests and SSB training; 12th-pass candidates take the Naval wing of the NDA with our NDA course.
Frequently asked questions
Which was India's first naval air station?
INS Garuda at Kochi, commissioned on 11 May 1953, was the first naval air station. PIB's history says naval aviation itself began with the first Sealand aircraft, acquired on 13 January 1951. INS Hansa followed in September 1961 and moved to Dabolim, Goa, in 1964.
What does INAS stand for and how are squadrons numbered?
INAS stands for Indian Naval Air Squadron. The Navy has not published a numbering rule, but the squadrons PIB names group by role: 30x carrier fighters, 31x fixed-wing patrol, 32x ALH helicopters, 33x ship-borne helicopters and 5xx training. Treat that as a memory aid.
How many MH-60R squadrons does the Indian Navy have?
Two. INAS 334 "Seahawks" was commissioned at INS Garuda, Kochi, on 6 March 2024 and INAS 335 "Ospreys" at INS Hansa, Goa, on 17 December 2025. The Navy ordered 24 MH-60R helicopters from the US in February 2020, and as of 10 November 2026 we found no announcement of a third squadron.
Has the Indian Navy received the Rafale M?
Not as of 10 November 2026, as far as we could find. India and France signed the agreement for 26 Rafale M aircraft (22 single-seat, four twin-seat) on 28 April 2025, and PIB says deliveries would be completed by 2030. Press reports say a Rafale M made a trial landing on INS Vikrant on 29 October 2026.
Which is the largest naval air station of the Indian Navy?
PIB described INS Rajali at Arakkonam in June 2024 as the most modern and largest naval air station, with 4,700 personnel on 2,200 acres. INS Hansa in Goa is called the premier air station and is home to the MiG-29K fighters. Many reference sites call Hansa the largest, so read the options in a question with care.
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Sources: pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1750997 · pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1752311 · pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2205534 · pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2300388
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