Latest news with #SeaHawk
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Arividam Playscape to give a major facelift for Kerala Jawahar Bal Bhavan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Jawahar Bal Bhavan in the state capital is all set for a major transformation with the launch of 'Arividam Playscape' – an innovative project that aims to enhance and enrich the child-friendly public space. Designed as a dynamic playscape exclusively for children, the initiative has been taken up as part of the Urban Rejuvenation and Beautification Scheme for Thiruvananthapuram – a scheme conceived in 2023. The plan is to implement and throw open the renovated campus by December-end. The project implemented by the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) is funded by KIIFB. 'Arividam Playscape' aims to breathe a new lease of life into the underutilised open space of the Jawahar Bal Bhavan campus at Vellayambalam. The project is designed in such a way that the new makeover will offer a more immersive experience for the children. KIIFB has already approved the detailed project report and has sanctioned Rs 4.8 crore for the project. MLA V K Prasanth, who played a crucial role in conceiving the project, said that no major development was done in the Bal Bhavan for years. 'The city lacks child-friendly spaces and this is going to bridge that gap. Summer vacation camp is the only main activity happening on the campus and once the project is implemented, it is going to be a more vibrant space where children would want to spend more time,' he said. Every year nearly 2,000 children belonging to several age groups attend the two-month-long summer vacation class at Jawahar Bal Bhavan. Knowledge Vault – a state-of-the-art digital learning hub would be set up on the campus. The interactive space which will feature content relating to history, literature, environmental science, is expected to make learning more fun. One of the other major features is the revitalisation of the historic Sea Hawk aircraft displayed on the premises. An official of TRIDA said that it is a piece of relic that is part of history. 'The area surrounding the Sea Hawk is underutilised and that area will be developed. The new generation is unaware of its relevance, and this is the only aircraft with an engine put on display in the country,' the official said. MLA Prasanth said that the roof of the Sea Hawk is in a poor state and efforts will be taken to get permission from the Indian Navy and Government of India to maintain the aircraft and fix the roof.
New Indian Express
12-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Relic from India-Pakistan 1971 war stands tall in Changampuzha Park
KOCHI: As tensions escalated between India and Pakistan, rumours were abound that the Indian Navy had deployed INS Vikrant, its most formidable naval asset, to the Western front. For many, it rekindled memories of the old INS Vikrant and its carrier-borne aircraft — Sea Hawks and Alize, which wreaked havoc during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. 'Then, INS Vikrant was deployed on the Eastern front and was the mainstay of India's naval blockade of East Pakistan in the Bay of Bengal,' recalled Cdr S R Nair (retd), who served with the Southern Naval Command. Indeed, the old INS Vikrant — the first aircraft carrier of the Navy — was a powerful deterrent and a strategic game-changer for India, as were the Sea Hawks and Alizes that it was home to. Sea Hawk, the British-made, single-seat jet fighter aircraft, caused extensive damage by bombing Dhaka, Khulna and Chittagong in present-day Bangladesh, while the French-built Alize defended the naval blockade from submarine attacks. The Sea Hawk squadron (White Tigers) was commanded by Lt Cdr S K Gupta (retd) and the Alizes (Cobras) by Lt Cdr Ravi Dhir (retd). As time rolled up, the fighter aircraft were phased out, and even the majestic aircraft carrier was decommissioned — on December 31, 1997. However, a relic of this era remains at Changampuzha Park in Kochi — a Sea Hawk fighter. 'The Navy gifted the fighter to the Kochi and displayed it at the park on December 4, 1999. The development came following a request from the Greater Cochin Development Authority,' P Prakash, president of Changampuzha Samskarika Kendram, told TNIE. 'The vintage aircraft is in fairly good condition and is periodically maintained by the Navy. A new coat of paint was given three years ago. It is, no doubt, a cherished relic that revives memories of a time when Kochi was the launchpad for many successful war operations,' Prakash said. Today, Sea Hawks adorn several museum foyers and public spaces across the country, evoking memories of how they once inflicted heavy damage to Pakistan. 'The one in Changampuzha Park is the original version, though the engines were taken out,' added Cdr Nair.
New Indian Express
08-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Thiruvananthapuram's Sea Hawk brings back memories of 1971 war
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fighter aircraft of the Indian Navy which participated in the 1971 Indo-Pak War is the pride of Thiruvananthapuram city. The Hawker Sea Hawk IN-174 sits majestically on the Jawahar Bala Bhavan premises facing the busy Palayam-Vellayambalam stretch. The carrier-based plane was used for ground attacks. The Sea Hawk, perched on INS Vikrant,was part of the squadron that bombed the Chittagong Port in present-day Bangladesh. Chittagong was a crucial eastern base of the Pakistan Navy then. The weapons it carried included four 40 mm guns, two 1000 LBS bombs, four 500 LBS bombs and 24 rockets. The subsonic aircraft's ceiling height was 40,000 feet. The board near the aircraft reads: 'In 1971 Indo-Pak war the aircraft was launched from INS Vikrant for attack on Chittagong Port'. During 1980s, the Navy donated the aircraft to the Jawahar Balbhavan which offered a course on aeromodelling. Originally, the aircraft was kept in the open, left to elements. It was the intervention of the then President APJ Abdul Kalam that helped the aircraft regain its glory. In 2006, Blessen Siby, a Tiruvlla resident wrote to Kalam seeking his intervention. Within a week, the President's Office wrote to the chief secretary seeking follow-up action. Unfortunately, in a classic case of red-tapism, the state government acted on it after 10 long years. In 2016, the government and the Indian Navy jointly conducted the repair works. The Navy repainted the plane and erected a board displaying its details.
