INDIA. MUMBAI: Group Captain Sushanta Biswas took over as Station Commander of the Indian Air Force station at Thane near Mumbai from outgoing Group Captain Shekhar Sharma in an official ceremony.
Group Captain Biswas assumed the responsibility in a befitting military ceremony conducted at Air Force Station located at Thane West held on Tuesday.
Group Captain Biswas is from a College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad (Telangana) alumnus. He has vast experience in Aircraft Navigation and Missile Systems and has held key appointments at various Air Force establishments. Before taking over the command of Air Force Station Thane, he held the appointment of Command Air Defence Officer (Missile), Head Quarter South Western Air Command, Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat.
The IAF station (26 wings) was raised in May 1968 as a Surface to Air Missile Establishment tasked with protecting Mumbai and surrounding areas. It operates with 2 Combat and one tech Surface-to-Air Guided Weapons (SAGW) squadron. The Wing is spread across three pockets:
- The main base at Thane
- Air Force at Sheva (Raigad district)
- Karave (Navi Mumbai)
The complex also has a Kendriya Vidyalaya and a canteen for defence personnel offering all kinds of items for daily activities.
The Thane IAF station remains on standby to assist local administration during natural calamities and necessities. In 2019 the IAF Thane team had rescued over 50 people, including 16 infants, trapped in torrential rains in the Khadavali area in the Thane district by deploying an MI-17 helicopter. It had also participated in rescue operations during the Tauktae cyclone that affected Maharashtra in May last year.
In another development, Rear Admiral Vikram Menon, Flag Officer, Goa, called on Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at his office in Panaji and assured the continued support of the Indian Navy to the state administration as and when required on Tuesday.
Also Read: One Killed Over Loudspeaker Row in Gujarat
