Press Trust of India,
The Indian Navy's first 'Unmanned Aerial Vehicle' (UAV) squadron will be commissioned here in January, Flag Officer Commander-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Vice-Admiral S C Bangara said today.
Addressing a press conference on board the INS Krishna, anchored off the Southern Naval Command's headquarters here, Vice-Admiral Bangara said that the Navy's first UAV unit, which is presently designated as the Intensive Flying and Training Unit (IFTU) since its induction nearly two years ago, will formally be commissioned as a squadron on January six, 2006, by the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash.
This will be the first Naval UAV squadron, to be stationed at Kochi. Later, more squadrons may be set up elsewhere, he added.
Describing the induction of the UAVs in the services following the Kargil conflict as ''extremely useful'', Vice-Admiral Bangara said that they were ideal for getting real-time information on anything happening on land or sea.
Coming in two versions, short-range and long-range, the UAVs are equipped with state-of-the-art radars and night-time viewing capabilities.
A newly built Fast Attack Craft named INS Bangaram will also be commissioned and based at Kochi next month, he added.
Also, for the first time, the President's Fleet Review (PFR) will be held at Vishakapatnam on February 12 and 13. More than 50 ships of the Navy, Coast Guard and merchant ships will participate in the event.
