Bangladesh Naval Aviation

Bangladesh Naval Aviation
Active 14 July 2011 – present
Country  Bangladesh
Branch  Bangladesh Navy
Type Naval aviation
Headquarters Naval Headquarter (NHQ), Banani, Dhaka
Decorations See Medals of the Bangladesh Armed Forces
Commanders
Commodore Naval Aviation(COMNAV) Commodore Mohammad Nazmul Hassan
Insignia
Naval Ensign
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Helicopter AgustaWestland AW109
Patrol Dornier 228 NG

Bangladesh Naval Aviation is the Aviation wing of Bangladesh Navy. The unit started its journey on 14 July 2011 making the Bangladesh Navy a two-dimensional force.

History

The Bangladesh Navy started its journey during the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. At that time navy was a force equipped with surface ships only. Coming in the new millennium, the Bangladesh Navy started to feel the necessity if being a three-dimensional force equipped with submarines and aircraft. It was the year of 2009 when the first two aircraft were ordered for the navy. The aircraft two AgustaWestland AW109 search and rescue helicopters. The naval aviation formally started its journey on 14 July 2011 with the induction of the helicopters. Two Dornier Do 228NG maritime patrol aircraft joined the service in 2013.[1] [2] After the formulation of the Forces Goal 2030 in 2010, the development of the naval aviation is going on in accordance with the goal.

Bangladesh Naval Aviation joined in the search operation of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with a Dornier Do-228NG MPA in March 2014. The search was renewed in May 2014 when an Australian exploration company claimed to have traced aircraft debris in the Bay of Bengal.[3]

Markings

Bangladesh Navy aircraft uses green and red roundels keeping similarity with the flag of Bangladesh. The naval ensign is placed at the tail of the aircraft. The service titles BANGLADESH NAVY appear on the port side in English and starboard side in Bangla script.[2]

Current Air Bases

Currently naval aviation operates from her own hangar situated beside the Shah Amanat International Airport at Chattogram. [2][4]

Equipment

Name Type Number Notes
Dornier Do 228 MPA 2 [1]
AgustaWestland AW109 SAR helicopter 2 [1]

Future modernization plans

Two more Dornier Do 228 NG aircraft were ordered in 2017. These two aircraft will be equipped with Seaspray 5000E AESA radar.[5]

In April 2018, BN floated a tender for the procurement of two more helicopters. The helicopters need to have anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface vessel warfare (ASuW), surface search/ EEZ surveillance, over-the-horizon targeting (OTHT), maritime interdiction and special forces operation, maritime search and rescue (MSAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) and transportation capabilities.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "BN History".
  2. 1 2 3 "Bangladesh Naval Aviation".
  3. ↑ "Navy scouring Bay of Bengal again for MH370 after GeoResonance claim". bdnews24.com.
  4. ↑ "Aviation hangar inaugurated in Ctg". The Independent. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "Leonardo to supply AESA radars for Bangladesh Navy's new Dornier 228 multirole aircraft". Janes. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "TENDER SPECIFICATION OF HELICOPTERS" (PDF). dgdp. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
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