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Grand bird TU 142M grounded
After 30,000 hours of accident-free flying during its 29 years of service, the TU142M aircraft was given a befitting farewell in a special ceremony organised at INS Rajali, India’s premiere Naval Air Station in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday.
Visakhapatnam: After 30,000 hours of accident-free flying during its 29 years of service, the TU142M aircraft was given a befitting farewell in a special ceremony organised at INS Rajali, India’s premiere Naval Air Station in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday.
The ceremony was attended by chief of naval staff Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command vice admiral HCS Bisht, serving and retired officers and men, who have served in the INAS 312 and other senior officials from the Navy as well as from civil administration.
The aircraft is likely to end up as a museum to be located close to the INS Kursura submarine museum on the beach road. Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Sunil Lanba lauded the stellar role played by TU142M aircraft in the defence of the country as a maritime reconnaissance and airborne ASW aircraft.
He recollected the crucial role played by the squadron in operation Cactus in Maldives, where fleeing mercenaries were detected and tracked till they were apprehended by Indian warships. The Admiral also mentioned the maiden participation by TU’s as the first Indian Naval Aircraft in the Republic Day flypast at New Delhi on January 26, 1999. He also acknowledged the professionalism of the pilots, the maintainers and all those personnel associated with flying and maintaining the aircraft in peak efficiency during their service.
The rich legacy of the Squadron would continue as the baton is being passed on to the proud crew of the worthy successors viz. the P-8 I Squadron, said the Admiral. After 29 years of dedicated service, the TU-142M LRMR ASW aircraft was withdrawn. Commander Yogender Mair, the last commanding officer of the squadron with TU142M aircraft handed over the reins to Commander V Ranganathan, who will be the first Commanding Officer of the Squadron with the Boeing P-8I aircraft.
The Boeing P-8I aircraft dedicated to the nation by the erstwhile defence minister Manohar Parrikar on November 13, 2015, is the third type of aircraft, after the Lockheed L1049G Super Constellation and the TU-142M aircraft, to be operated by INAS 312. The P-8I aircraft has proven all its systems and has been fully integrated into the operational grid of the Indian Navy.
