President Ram Nath Kovind will award the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Aviation at a ceremonial parade to be held at INS Hansa, Goa, on September 6. The President’s Colour is the highest honour bestowed on a military unit in recognition of its exceptional service to the nation.
The ceremony will be attended by a number of high-profile ministers of India including Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Governor of Goa PS Sreedharan Pillai, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, several other civil and military dignitaries. To mark the momentous occasion, India Posts will release a special day cover on Naval Aviation. Naval Aviation came into being with acquisition of the first Sealand aircraft on January 13, 1951 and the commissioning of INS Garuda, the first Naval Air Station, on May 11, 1953, the Navy said in a statement. “Today, Naval Aviation boasts of nine air stations and three naval air enclaves along the Indian coastline and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” it stated. Over the past seven decades, it had transformed into a modern, technologically advanced and highly potent force, with more than 250 aircraft comprising carrier-borne fighters, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, helicopters and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), the Navy said. The Naval Aviation has been the guiding light to other armed forces with their stand and approach of inducting women into the important positions of the Navy and allowing them to work on par with the male officers.
The Navy was the first amongst the armed forces to be awarded the President’s Colour on May 27, 1951 by then President Rajendra Prasad, as per the statement. After the Armed Firefly Aircraft was added in 1958, it gave aviation an offensive boost and it slowly increased its arsenal to become an integral part of a formidable Navy.
