At the Coast Guard Air dominion at Nedumbassery in Kochi, the Coast Guard commissioned its second Air Squadron, 845 Squadron . The new Air Squadron was commissioned by Coast Guard Director General V S Pathania and is supplied with Advanced Mark III (ALH Mark III) helicopters created in-house.
The commissioning represents a huge step forward in terms of self-reliance in search and rescue missions and long-range maritime surveillance. Four helicopters have been stationed in Kochi to cover the Karnataka, Kerala, and Lakshadweep coasts. Commandant Kunal Naik leads a squadron of nine officers and 35 soldiers.