Indian Naval Air Arm Organization

The Directorate of Naval Aviation started functioning in Naval Headquarters in 1948. From 1948 onwards, officers and sailors started going to Britain for training as pilots, as observers and for technical training in aircraft maintenance.

The basic organisational structure of Naval Aviation is four tiered viz (i) Naval HQ at the apex (ii) Flag Officers Commanding-in-Chiefs (FOC-in-Cs)/HQ Naval Aviation (iii) Naval Air Stations/Ships/Aircraft carriers and (iv) Naval Air Squadrons/Flights as in the chart.

The Directorates (DNAS, DNAM and DAA) are responsible for selection, acquisition, operation and maintenance of the aircraft. The FOC-in-Cs are responsible for fighting efficiency, operational readiness and tactical control in respect of aircraft and aircrew allotted to them. Flag Officer, Naval Aviation (FONA) is responsible to the Chief of the Naval Staff on all matters concerning aviation training, maintenance, flight safety and operational tactics.

Naval Squadrons/Flights are controlled and supported by the parent Naval Air Station or the Carrier ship. The Naval Air Station (NAS) exercises control through Commodore (Air) who in turn controls the Air Squadrons/ Flights. The Squadron Commander is responsible for the functioning and operational status of his squadron.

The Air squadrons operate from the Naval Air Stations and ships which provide necessary facilities for the operation and maintenance of these squadrons.

Naval air stations provide necessary support services to the squadrons/flights based on those stations. A scrutiny of the records of various squadrons at Naval air stations for the period 1989-94 revealed that the availability of aircraft with reference to the authorised unit establishment was consistently very low in respect of three squadrons and the serviceability of aircraft was also too low in respect of three other squadrons.