INS HANSA

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Context

• The Indian Navy’s airbase, INS Hansa, out of which the Dabolim airport operates, has become the first joint-user international airport in the South-Asia Pacific region to be augmented with the required navigation performance (RNP) approach.

About Required Navigation Performance (RNP) Approach

• The Airports Authority of India (AAI) prepared the RNP approach for runway 26 at the airport using the indigenous GAGAN satellite navigation system for which satisfactory flight trials were conducted with Naval aircraft.
• This gives military as well as passenger aircraft better accuracy while approaching the runway for landing, particularly in low visibility conditions.
• GAGAN is a satellite-based augmentation system jointly developed by AAI and the Indian Space Research Organisation.
• It is the first such system developed for India and neighbouring countries.
• Only four nations presently have space-based augmentation systems: India (GAGAN), the United States (WAAS), Europe (EGNOS) and Japan (MSAS).
• The new satellite-based navigation approach will reduce dependence on ground-based equipment such as and instrument landing system (ILS) installed at the airport.
• It is particularly useful for pilots when the ILS malfunctions or is under repair.
  

About INS Hansa

• It is an Indian naval air station located near Dabolim in Goa, India.
• It is India's biggest naval airbase.
• INS Hansa was commissioned in 1961 at Sulur near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
• Besides the operation of the MiGs, the Navy also operates Kamov Ka-28 anti submarine helicopters, along with Ilyushin Il-38 May and TU-142M Bear aircraft.
• Dabolim airbase also hosts exercises by the Indian Air Force's fighter bombers and it has facilities for the Indian Coast Guard which operates a fleet of small aircraft such as Dornier 228s.
• The Indian Navy also carries out long range maritime patrols as far as the Horn of Africa from Dabolim.
• The Navy has an aerobatic team, based at Dabolim, called the Sagar Pawan.

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About GAGAN: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/gps-aided-geo-augmented-navigation-20

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/in-a-first-navys-ins-hansa-gets-indigenous-navigation-system/articleshow/100194505.cms?from=mdr