Kolkata to base Heron and Searcher MK II unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

[Major Shaitan Singh]

The stage is set for Heron and Searcher MK II unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Navy to be stationed at the Behala airport.

According to officials, discussions between the Navy and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are at their final stage and work on building necessary infrastructure will start soon. The UAVs, with long endurance and stealth capabilities, will aid in search and detection and add punch to the surveillance capabilities of the Navy's Eastern Naval Command and coastal security as a whole.

The Navy first proposed the commissioning of a UAV squadron at Behala nearly two years ago. The AAI agreed to the proposal on principle and discussions began. The Navy plans to utilize about 15 acres of the airfield that it will obtain from AAI on a 30-year lease. Though the project was announced in 2011, there was some delay due to which doubts began to be raised on whether the Navy has backed out. In 2012, the Navy commissioned its third UAV squadron in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. UAV squadrons are also based at Kochi and Porbandar along the country's west coast.

"The Behala project is very much on. Our discussions with the AAI have reached the final stage. In fact,

Deputy chief of naval staff Vice-Admiral P K Chatterjee visited the Behala airfield recently along with AAI officials to take stock of the situation. It shouldn't take too long now for work to start," said Commodore Ravi Ahluwalia, naval officer in-charge, West Bengal.

Both the Heron and Searcher are Israeli-manufactured UAVs. The Heron has an operational speed of 130 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 32,800 feet. It has a range of 217 miles. The Searcher has an operational speed of 125 miles per hour with a service ceiling of 20,000 feet. It has a range of 18 hours.

"The UAV squadron in Behala will be of great strategic importance due to its proximity to the estuarine parts of the Bay of Bengal. Normal surveillance is difficult in this terrain. There are several creeks and waterways there where vessels can seek shelter. In the past suspicious movement has been spotted in this region. Kolkata doesn't have a naval base and the closest one is at Visakhapatnam. This is why the drones will be extremely essential to ensure coastal security. This UAV base will complement the radar stations that have been planned at Haldia and Sagar Island," an officer said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...o-house-UAV-squadron/articleshow/21132531.cms

 

[Manindra]

After reading this Mamta Didi goes to dharna on Naval base on behalf of pilots who loose their jobs due to these drones.

 

[GR!FF!N]

After reading this Mamta Didi goes to dharna on Naval base on behalf of pilots who loose their jobs due to these drones.

this was not needed..Mamata is paranoid..but I think anyone will prefer her rule than Leftists who left our state in complete lurch in their 35 years rule..infact,they showed more drama than Mamata did.remember Indo-US joint exercise in Kalaikunda and Left's protest??

topic...

very good news..Hope,this will end the poor condition of Behala Air field.
also,there was plan to install an ASM battery in Diamon Harbor..hope it'll get clear soon..

 

[Anony]

Drones in Kolkata - My City

 

[Manindra]

this was not needed..Mamata is paranoid..but I think anyone will prefer her rule than Leftists who left our state in complete lurch in their 35 years rule..infact,they showed more drama than Mamata did.remember Indo-US joint exercise in Kalaikunda and Left's protest??

topic...

very good news..Hope,this will end the poor condition of Behala Air field.
also,there was plan to install an ASM battery in Diamon Harbor..hope it'll get clear soon..

I hope same before Mamta take oath as CM but after this I realise both work hard to not spare any hope to bengal to regain his old title. There is old proverb that Bengal thinks 50 years ago from rest of India but today Bengal thinks 50 years backward from rest of India.

So, only hope for WB is BJP or Congress.

 

[vistascan]

I hope same before Mamta take oath as CM but after this I realise both work hard to not spare any hope to bengal to regain his old title. There is old proverb that Bengal thinks 50 years ago from rest of India but today Bengal thinks 50 years backward from rest of India.

So, only hope for WB is BJP or Congress.

Only hope for WB are the people of WB. As a person from Kolkata, we have become too apathetic and are looking too much to leaders to help us.

 

[GR!FF!N]

I hope same before Mamta take oath as CM but after this I realise both work hard to not spare any hope to bengal to regain his old title. There is old proverb that Bengal thinks 50 years ago from rest of India but today Bengal thinks 50 years backward from rest of India.

So, only hope for WB is BJP or Congress.

BJP is so weak in WB is that they can't even retain their old bastions..and Cong is much more venomous than CPM..they simply change their side to take advantage of the situation..while Center is giving high posts to "Criticizer of Mamata",one can barely hope that any alliance will ever take place.I'm not a great fan of Mamata either..her several decisions and poor use of intellect and poor choice of words are simply creating bitterness among the people.but,yet,her strength will remain for few years now.only hope of bengal is Rapid Industrialization by taking lands of closed factories(if ever happens),which has become hunting ground of land sharks..I too want a more civilized and prosperous bengal,but dream will still remain dream unless we change first..

 

[GR!FF!N]

Only hope for WB are the people of WB. As a person from Kolkata, we have become too apathetic and are looking too much to leaders to help us.

you're right..its us who become paralyzed..we want everything from govt,yet we can't even ensure that they do that in time,when it is pretty easy.simply resist..one example,in our locality,only roads where CPM politicians and leaders live got repaired..but the road in front of our house didn't.during municipality pool,people of our locality simply verbally whitewashed the leaders.they simply flee to see the rage between commoners..and they got the result as hoped,a whitewash.just send a clear warning,if you work,only then you'll get the vote.but as we're blind,we don't even see the person,who is begging vote from us,what is his/her record.we see the symbol.this blind support is the reason we failed while states like Kerala flourished.we feed a tyrant regime for 35 years.we're about to feed another one about same,if not more,unless we change.

 

[skysthelimit]

Yaay, can't wait to see herons in our skies.

 

[Manindra]

BJP is so weak in WB is that they can't even retain their old bastions..and Cong is much more venomous than CPM..they simply change their side to take advantage of the situation..while Center is giving high posts to "Criticizer of Mamata",one can barely hope that any alliance will ever take place.I'm not a great fan of Mamata either..her several decisions and poor use of intellect and poor choice of words are simply creating bitterness among the people.but,yet,her strength will remain for few years now.only hope of bengal is Rapid Industrialization by taking lands of closed factories(if ever happens),which has become hunting ground of land sharks..I too want a more civilized and prosperous bengal,but dream will still remain dream unless we change first..

This is political complexity which I don't cout because it is depend on people of WB.
She was more wicked than left.

 

[third eye]

After reading this Mamta Didi goes to dharna on Naval base on behalf of pilots who loose their jobs due to these drones.

...and / or BD members see Chanakya , Bhahmonic, hegemonistic designs in basing those birds ' near' them.

 

[Manindra]

...and / or BD members see Chanakya , Bhahmonic, hegemonistic designs in basing those birds ' near' them.

You evil , these drone carries advance transmitter to control dalals by R&AW