Panaji:

The Indian Navy on Tuesday decommissioned the last of its Ilyushin Il-38SD Sea Dragon Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft from operational service, 46 years after their induction.

Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, who was present at the “drawdown ceremony” of the aircraft at INS Hansa at Vasco town, 35 km from Goa’s state capital Panaji, described the occasion as “truly historic” and one filled with nostalgia.

The Navy chief said the aircraft brought glory to the Indian Navy time and again.

The last IL-38SD decommissioned on Tuesday will be put on display at the Naval Aviation Museum at Dabolim. Another such aircraft was put on display there in March 2020.

During Tuesday’s ceremony, the aircraft made its final landing, completing the deinduction process. It was given a water cannon salute as a mark of respect.

On January 26 this year, the Il-38SD participated in the Republic Day Parade flypast for the first and last time.

The aircraft were operated by Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 315 Winged Stallion. The Il-38 was inducted into service from 1977 onwards and five aircraft were procured till 1983.

In October 2002, the Indian Navy lost two aircraft in a mid-air collision above INS Hansa in Goa. Two ex-Russian Navy Il-38s were added to the squadron in December 2009 and February 2010.

At INS Hansa, the Sea Dragons are being replaced by Boeing P-8I Neptune, of which four aircraft have been delivered to INAS316 The Condors since December 2021. The new unit was officially commissioned on March 29, 2022.

With the induction of the IL-38s, the Navy had acquired modern maritime reconnaissance and fixed-wing Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability.

In January 1978, the squadron aircraft using the on board Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) equipment successfully located the wreckage of the ill-fated Air India aircraft which had crashed soon after take-off off the Mumbai coast.

The Winged Stallions had added yet another feather to their cap when they completed 25,000 hours of accident free flying in 1996. 

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