INS Dega on an expansion mode

Visakhapatnam: As the load on INS Dega is expected to increase in the days to come, the naval air station is all set to go on an expansion mode. With the carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft MiG-29K to be based at INS Dega and aviation assets to grow steadily, the number of aircraft to be operated in the Eastern Seaboard is expected to grow further in future. Even as the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) headquartered in Visakhapatnam is readying a berth for the indigenous aircraft carrier and largest warship INS Vikrant which is slated to be based in the City of Destiny by 2024 after undergoing a host of aviation complex, aircraft and endurance trials in Kochi, the naval air base in Visakhapatnam is going to operate more aircraft with greater frequency and operational capabilities.

Although the count of the aircraft to be added to the fleet is yet to be ascertained, improved infrastructure with a parallel taxi track and enhanced runway capacity are in the offing at the INS Dega. Sharing details, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, says, "There is a plan to equip INS Dega with MiG-29K squadron a few months before INS Vikrant eventually gets shifted to the command. The number of aircraft that are going to operate from the Eastern Fleet is going to increase because new ships are arriving, the aircraft carrier is going to be here and the aviation assets are going to go up. As such, the load on INS Dega will be substantially maximised."

Eventually, when the Bhogapuram Green Field International Airport takes shape, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta mentions that INS Dega will be utilised for military flying operations and the civilian flights traffic will be shifted to the alternate airport. With legal tangles pertaining to the Bhogapuram Green Field International Airport in Vizianagaram being cleared with the AP High Court, the Eastern Seaboard plans to enhance its military flying operations at INS Dega in future.