PANAJI
A Special Cover ‘Award of President’s Colour’ was released at the hands of President of India, Ram Nath Kovind on September 6.
President Kovind was in Goa to present the President's Colour to Indian Naval Aviation and the event was hosted by INS HANSA, a naval station located near Dabolim.
“The release of the special cover coincides with the diamond jubilee of INS Hansa and Liberation of Goa,” stated Dr Ramesh Kumar, president, Goa Philately and Numismatic Society (GPNS).
The special cover reminds us that the Naval Jet Flight was set up at Coimbatore in 1958 with Sea Hawk, Alize and Vampire aircraft, and was later commissioned as INS HANSA on September 5, 1961. After the liberation of Goa, Dabolim airfield was taken over by the Indian Navy in April 1962 and INS Hansa was shifted to Dabolim in June 1964, informs the GPNS president.
INS Hansa is the abode of the Indian Navy’s Frontline Air Squadrons “ INAS 310 ‘Cobras’ with Dornier-228 aircraft, INAS 315 ‘Winged Stallions’ with the long-range maritime patrol aircraft IL-38SD. INS 339 ‘Falcons’ with the airborne early warning Kamov-31 helicopter. INAS 303 ‘Black Panthers’ and INAS 300 ‘White Tigers’ with the Supersonic carrier-borne MiG 29K fighters, and INAS 323 ‘Harriers’ with ALH Mk III helicopters.
