Oral History and Military Publishing

INS Garuda (Naval Air Station)

INS Garuda (ICAO: VOCC), is an Indian naval air station located in Kochi, in the state of Kerala. It was commissioned on 11 May 1953, and it is the oldest operating air station of the Indian Navy. The air station is adjacent to INS Venduruthy and the headquarters of Southern Naval Command. INS Garuda is a major naval air training centre as well as an operational base.

INS Garuda also has a number of naval aviation training schools:

Observer School trains pilots and technical personnel in maritime reconnaissance, patrol, evacuation and search and rescue (SAR) missions

School for Naval Airmen (SFNA) and the Naval Institute of Aviation Technology (NIAT) impart theoretical training to naval aviation personnel and those associated with flying operations

Aeronautical Training Institute (ATI) conducts training for officers and sailors in aircraft maintenance

School for Naval Oceanography and Meteorology (SNOM)

INS Garuda also has facilities for imparting training in airborne anti-submarine operations affiliated with the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) School on INS Venduruthy. The school's facilities include a Thales Underwater Systems LOFAR (Low Frequency Analysis & Recording) training simulator.