21 Navy officers awarded 'Wings' on passing out as 'Observers'

KOCHI: As many as 21 officers were awarded ' Wings' on passing out as ' Observers' at the Naval Air Station here today.

Of them, 16 are from Indian Navy, two from Indian Coast Guard and three from friendly foreign countries.

Real Admiral G Ashok Kumar, Flag Officer, Sea Training, who reviewed the ceremonial passing out parade at INS Garuda, presented the awards and wings to the passing out officers, a defence press release said.

During the 46 week course, the Officers who constituted the 80th Permanent Commission, 11th Short Service Commission and 7th Foreign Observer Course, were trained in tactics employed in air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and the exploitation of ESM systems in addition to the basic training in air navigation and flying procedures.

The officers would now function as 'airborne tacticians' onboard Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti-submarine Warfare aircraft of the Navy and Coast Guard, the release said.

In the 80th "Ab-initio course", Asst Comdt Devender Kumar was awarded the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command trophy, Uttar Pradesh trophy and SLt RV Kunte Memorial Book Prize for being adjudged 'Best in Flying', 'First in the Overall Order of Merit' and 'Best in Ground Subjects' respectively.

In the 11th SSC Observer course, Slt Rohit Gupta was adjudged 'Best in Over All Order of Merit' and 'Best in Ground Subjects' while Slt Sandhya Dhoundiyal was 'Best in Flying'. Amongst the 7th Foreign Observer course, Lt M Al Amin from Bangladesh Navy was declared best in the Overall Order of Merit, it said.