The Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Bhadauria inducted its 1st squadron of Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft. This aircraft is carrying the BrahMos missiles in the South at its Thanjavur based in Tamil Nadu.
Thanjavur is strategically located in the southern peninsula. From there, the Tigersharks can dominate the seas and provide very close and integrated support to the Indian Navy. It can also provide support to the land forces.
The newly reinstated 222-squadron, also known as the Tigersharks, would serve as a lethal weapons platform capable of carrying both aerial and maritime roles in the Indian Ocean Region. The Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft integrated with the supersonic cruise missiles BrahMos is the strongest maritime combination that we have, in terms of weapon capability.