Airborne tacticians join naval air arm

: A batch of 15 officers of the Indian Navy, including a woman officer and three officers of the Indian Coast Guard graduated as "observers at an impressive passing out parade held at the INS Garuda here.

Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), reviewed the parade and awarded the coveted 'golden wings' to the passing out officers, a Naval press release said.

The officers belonging to the 90th Regular and 21st Short Service Commission (SSC) Observer Course were trained in air navigation, flying procedures, tactics employed in air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and exploitation of airborne avionic systems.

They would serve as 'Airborne Tacticians' onboard Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, the release added.

Lieutenant Commander Harsukh Dadhich from the Regular Observer Course was awarded the Uttar Pradesh Trophy, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Trophy and the Sub Lieutenant RV Kunte Memorial Book Prize on being adjudged 'first in overall order of merit', 'best in flying' and 'Best in Ground Subjects respectively.

Sub Lieutenant Syed Abdul Kader from theC Observer Course was awarded the Book Prize for being adjudged Best in Overall Order of Merit.

The occasion also saw four officers, three from the Indian Navy and one from the Indian Coast Guard graduating as Qualified Navigation Instructors (QNIs).

The QNIs were trained in instructional techniques to be applied both on ground and during flying and were provided in-depth knowledge of tactics and sensor exploitation.

These officers would now serve as Qualified Navigation Instructors at the Observer School before proceeding to take up operational assignments at various frontline naval air squadrons.

The successful QNIs were also awarded the 'Instructor Torch.