INAS 315 ‘Winged Stallions’ – which has the unique distinction of operating the same aircraft type throughout its entire 46-year history – finally stood down the Indian Navy’s last Ilyushin Il-38SD Sea Dragon maritime patrol aircraft on October 31. Angad Singh reports from INS Hansa in Goa.
To appreciate the sentiment felt by the Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 315 as the sun sets over Il-38SD (IN307) – the Indian Navy’s (IN’s) last Sea Dragon – you must understand the length of time this unit’s personnel have spent with their aircraft.
Cdr Mrinmoy Ghosh – the officer commanding INAS 315 – has spent an incredible 16 years of his two decades in uniform with the ‘Winged Stallions’ at Indian Naval Station (INS) Hansa in Goa. Most others (especially senior staff) have similar stories. With thousands of hours of patrolling to the squadron’s credit, its personnel have a unique bond with the iconic Soviet-era platform.
As much as the Il-38SD means to INAS 315, it is also emblematic of the doggedness that got the IN its air arm and brought it into the business of conducting long-range maritime reconnaissance/anti-submarine warfare (LRMR/ASW) operations in the first place.
While Indian Naval Aviation was established in 1953, shore-bas…
