INAS 343

INAS 343
Active	17 January 2011 - Present
Country	India
Branch	Indian Navy
Type	Naval aviation Squadron
Role	Reconnaissance
Part of	Western Naval Command
Garrison/HQ	Naval Air Enclave, Porbandar
Nickname(s)	Frontier Formidables^[1]
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance	IAI Heron IAI Searcher Mk.II

Military unit

INAS 343 (Indian Naval Air Squadron 343) is an aviation squadron of the Indian Navy, operating IAI Heron and IAI Searcher MkII UAVs based at Porbandar. It is the second squadron in the navy dedicated to operating UAVs after INAS 342 at Kochi. The squadron was raised in 2011. The squadron is tasked with patrolling Northern Arabian Sea.^[2]

The Searcher is a third-generation UAV. Heron is the bigger version of Searcher MKII and has a wingspan of about 16 metres. The Searcher carries a modern and sophisticated electro optic camera and a communication intelligence payload. Heron is equipped with a maritime patrol radar. Both the UAVs have long endurance capabilities, can operate before and after sunset and beam real time live pictures of maritime targets. The Searcher MkII has a cruise speed of about 100 knots, a service ceiling of 20,000 feet and an 18-hour endurance. The Heron can touch speeds of over 100 knots with a service ceiling of 30,000 feet and an endurance of 40 hours.

References

^ UAV Squadron Commissioned at Porbandar Archived 6 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine Indian NavyPress Release
^ "Eye in the sky to guard Gujarat coast". The Times of India. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2013.

External links

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-indias-second-uav-squadron-commissioned/20110118.htm

Indian Navy

Leadership

Minister of Defence
Chief of the Naval Staff
Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
FOCs-in-C (Naval Commanders)
DCNS
COP
COM
FOCWF
FOCEF
FOMA
FOGNA
FOK
FOTNA
FODAG
FOSM
FOST
ACNS
Serving admirals
Navy MCPO

Components
and
Commands

Naval Commands

Operational	Western Naval Command Eastern Naval Command Southern Naval Command
Joint	Andaman and Nicobar Command Strategic Forces Command Defence Cyber Agency Defence Space Agency Armed Forces Special Operations Division

Fleets

Western Fleet
Eastern Fleet

Bases

New Delhi	INS India
Western Naval Command	INS Dwarka INS Sardar Patel INS Kadamba INS Vajrakosh INHS Patanjali INS Gomantak INS Hansa INHS Jeevanti INS Angre INS Abhimanyu INS Agnibahu INHS Asvini INS Kunjali INS Shikra INS Tanaji INS Trata INS Tunir INS Vajrabahu
Southern Naval Command	INS Dweeprakshak INS Minicoy INS Androth INS Bitra INS Garuda INHS Sanjivani INS Venduruthy INS Dronacharya INS Chilka INHS Nivrani INS Mandovi INS Hamla INS Shivaji INHS Kasturi INS Valsura INS Agrani INS Zamorin INS Satavahana INS Vishwakarma INS Jatayu
Eastern Naval Command	INS Circars INS Dega INS Virbahu INHS Kalyani INS Kalinga INS Eksila INS Karna INS Adyar INS Rajali INS Parundu INS Kattabomman INS Tuticorin INS Netaji Subhash INS Paradip INS Bhubaneswar INS Varsha
Andaman and Nicobar Command	INS Kardip INS Jarawa INS Utkrosh INS Baaz INHS Dhanvantari INS Campbell Bay INS Kohassa

Equipment

Aircraft Squadrons

Fighter	300 303
Airborne Early Warning (AEW)	339
Anti-submarine (ASW)	330 333 336
Reconnaissance	342 343 344
Maritime patrol	312 315 318 550 313
Electronic Warfare	310 311
Multirole helicopter	322 323 334 350
Search & Rescue	321
Training	551 552 561

Military Academies

Education & Training	Sainik School Armed Forces Medical College Ajmer Military School Bangalore Military School Belgaum Military School Chail Military School Dholpur Military School Rashtriya Indian Military College
Schools & Colleges	Indian Naval Academy Naval War College
Tri-Service Institutions	Defence Services Staff College National Defence Academy National Defence College College of Defence Management Military Institute of Technology