The Hindu : Front Page : Navy to operate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle from Uchipuli air station

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Saturday, Jul 05, 2008
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Navy to operate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle from Uchipuli air station

C. Jaishankar

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Indian Navy, which commissioned its first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) squadron at Kochi two and half years ago, plans to operate UAVs from the Naval Air Station at Uchipuli near here.

This is expected to enhance the Navy’s surveillance capability along the coast off Tamil Nadu from Tuticorin to Chennai and the seas around southern peninsula. The move is considered as an “imperative” step in the context of the prolonged war between Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The programme took shape after the recent visits of Vice Admiral Raman Prem Suthan, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, Flag Officer Commanding-In-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, and Commodore Phillip Van Haltren, Naval Officer-in-Charge, Tamil Nadu, to the air station.

At least two Israeli built UAVs based at the Indian Naval Air Squadron at Kochi might be operated from the Naval Air Station at Uchipuli, to be upgraded as a regular commissioned air station. Its 3,000-foot runaway will be expanded to 6,000 ft, keeping in mind future requirements. It has been proposed to acquire 343 acres in the nearby areas to facilitate the expansion.

“Creation of infrastructure activities for operating UAVs has already been started. A dedicated runway will be laid in a part of the station. We will be in a position to station UAVs and operate on a 24 hour basis in a year’s time,” Commander P. Rajkumar, Station Commander, Naval Air Station, Uchipuli, told The Hindu.

The plan includes repair and service facilities, establishment of electronic gadgets, logistics, remote control facilities, control room and staff quarters. As the focus of the programme was to operate UAVs at a higher altitude from remote. Hence, every aspect of the programme was being closely monitored to enable excellent operation after commissioning the facility, he added.

“Maritime reconnaissance and surveillance has become an important aspect of the Navy. We should have clear and continuous pictures of objects in the waters. The proposed facility will be extremely useful to bring more areas under close watch,” he said. The UAVs small but powerful sensor and radar would capture clear images of men and objects. The images could be seen from the control room, Mr. Rajkumar added.

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