The administrative block of a new air enclave for the Coast Guard was opened at Nedumbassery on Saturday.
Coast Guard Director General Rajendra Singh inaugurated the facility, which officials said, was a major step towards setting up a full-fledged air enclave. Once operationalised, it will ensure 24x7 air operations of the Coast Guard from the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) towards safeguarding India’s exclusive economic zone and other duties such as search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster management and fighting marine pollution. “Once fully activated, the air enclave will commence air operations on the western seaboard of India, extending from the coastal State of Goa to Kerala and Lakshadweep Islands as well as in the exclusive economic zones of friendly neighbouring nations,” a defence release said.
Mr. Singh gave an outline of the force’s activities towards expanding and strengthening the aviation fleet as well as surface craft and infrastructural developments apart from activating various air establishments in the near future. An air enclave for the force was conceptualised in 2007 with the acquisition of 10.02 acres adjacent to CIAL, and the construction began in 2013. The Navy also has an air enclave at Nedumbassery for operational redundancy, flexibility and for activation during emergencies. It can operate wide-bodied aircraft.
