Indian Naval Ship Hansa, a Naval Air Station, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 5 September 1961. The air station has five squadrons and two flights and undertakes extensive flying for operational and training purposes. The unit undertakes surveillance of the Arabian Sea and around the Indian peninsula and provides air effort as required by the Fleet. The air station also houses an Indian Coast Guard squadron of utility helicopters and in addition to military flying operations also handles civilian air traffic at Goa. ‘Hansa’ has been named after the Swan. The crest design depicts a swan in flight over Blue and White sea waves against the background of a Blue sky. The crest signifies the role of the air station in keeping naval aircraft in flight.
