Indian Navy Commissions 2nd P-8I Maritime Surveillance Aircraft Squadron

The Indian Navy commissioned the Indian Naval Air Squadron 316 (INAS 316), the service’s second P-8I aircraft squadron today.

A ceremony was held at INS Hansa, Goa on 29 March 2022.

INAS 316 has been christened ‘Condors’ which are one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan. The insignia of the squadron depicts a 'Condor' searching over the vast blue expanse of the sea.

INAS 316 will operate the Boeing P-8I aircraft, a multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft, that can be equipped with a range of Air-to-Ship Missiles and Torpedoes. The aircraft will be used for Maritime Surveillance and strike, Electronic Warfare missions, Search and Rescue, providing targeting data to Weapon platforms, providing time-critical surveillance information for IA and IAF and is also the platform of choice for detecting and neutralizing enemy ships and submarines in Indian Ocean Region.

The squadron has been specifically commissioned to be the home for the four new P-8I aircraft. These aircraft have been operating from Hansa since December 2021 and the squadron is integrated with full spectrum surface and subsurface Naval Operations.