The Naval Air Arm formally took birth with the commissioning of INS Garuda, a naval air station based at Kochi on 11 May 1953. A little earlier, on 04 February 1953, the first Indian Naval Aircraft - the Short Sealand [IN101] - landed at Kochi. IN101 joined the Fleet Requirement Unit, which later became the first Indian Naval Air Squadron - INAS 550 - on 17 June 1959. The aircraft carrier Vikrant arrived in 1961, with her squadrons of British Sea Hawk jets, French Alizé ASW aircraft and French Alouette III helicopters. The Vikrant would over time prove her worth in the Goa Liberation of 1961 and in the Indo-Pak War of 1971. The Navy has since set up a number of air stations along India's maritime borders and various aircraft, covering all dimensions of naval warfare, have been inducted. With the commissioning of a second aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, the Indian Navy adding more punch to her air power. This air power at sea is backed by state-of-the-art maintenance & logistics facilities in naval aircraft yards at Kochi and Goa, and with smaller facilities at the various naval air stations. The Naval Air Arm completed 50 glorious years in the service of the nation on 11 May 2003. Over the years, this arm of the Indian Navy has grown into a multi faceted force, fully equipped to meet the challenges of protecting our maritime boundaries and the assets of the nation at sea. Shano Varuna!