Sunday, Jun 29, 2003
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By R.K. Radhakrishnan
Raman Puri, FOC-in-C (Eastern Command), shaking hands with Commanders at a passing out parade at INS Rajali near Arakonam on Saturday.
The annual inter-service exercises, Summerex, will feature India's latest ships and aircraft and will be "anchored" by the country's largest naval air station, INS Rajali. "Units of the western and eastern command will get together and exercise here (off the eastern coast),'' said the Eastern Navy Commander, Raman Puri. An array of fighter and reconnaissance aircraft from the Air Force will operate from Rajali and take part in the exercises, slated to be held from July 7 to 22. Just before the exercises begin, the Navy, the Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy will get together for yet another set of exercises from July 4 to 7. While Vice-Admiral Puri said the Naval Headquarters would set the parameters, he felt that the exercises gave both sides a chance to look at each other's systems and manner of operations. ``They observe our procedures. We observe their procedures. We take the better of the two procedures. But I would say that it (the benefits from an exercise) goes beyond that also,'' he said. The eastern seaboard witnessed exercises with the Russian, U.S. and Australian Navies in the recent past and Admiral Puri was involved in each of these.
ALH undergoing tests
The Navy's newly-acquired Advanced Light Helicopter was undergoing tests at the intensive flight training unit, Kochi. The first versions of the helicopter should be ready for operational missions in the next few months, said the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. The ALH is a twin-engine helicopter, indigenously developed at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. ``It (the helicopter) has to come to sea, its avionics have to be tested. It is a very intense programme. In various roles they will get operationalised in different time frames. The earliest versions will get operationalised in the next few months.'' Admiral Puri presented `wings' and gave away awards to four pilots, who passed out, on completion of the 60th Helicopter Conversion Course. The Governor of Kerala Trophy for the best all-round trainee pilot and the FOC-in-C Eastern naval Command rolling trophy for standing first in order of merit was awarded to Sub-Lt S.P.Menon. Earlier, Admiral Puri inspected various facilities at the station. The Rajali Commanding Officer, Sanjeev Ghei, explained the improvements made at the station.
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