On Women's Day, A&N Command Undertakes Maiden All-Women Maritime Surveillance Mission

The occasion coincided with International Women's Day. "A maiden all-women maritime surveillance mission was undertaken by the Andaman & Nicobar Command on the 40th anniversary of INAS 318 and International Women's Day," the defence ministry said in a statement.

The crew based at INS Utkrosh comprised Lt Cdr Shubhangi Swaroop, Lt Cdr Divya Sharma and Lt Vaishali Mishra, it said.

"This milestone underscores the commitment of the Andaman & Nicobar Command towards providing equal opportunities to all genders and fostering gender neutrality within the armed forces," it added.

According to the ministry statement, the occasion highlighted the crucial role played by women combatants "in all the walks of the Naval Air Arm, which included pre-flight briefing, meteorological briefing, medical check-up and Air Traffic Control (ATC) briefing, all of which were conducted by women officers".

"The successful completion of the mission affirms the capability of women to undertake independent operational tasks, highlighting their invaluable contributions towards the nation's defence and security," the statement said.

INAS 318 is the elite Naval Air squadron in the Andaman & Nicobar Command, engaged in a surveillance role since its commissioning on March 8, 1984.

The squadron commenced its journey with the induction of Islander aircraft, eventually replaced by the Dornier aircraft in 1999. The Dornier aircraft is capable of carrying out long-range maritime surveillance using state-of-the-art Maritime Patrol Radars, the statement said.