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English: INS Garuda, the oldest Air Station of the Indian Navy celebrated its 69th anniversary on 11 May 2022. The history of INS Garuda, dates back to 1941, when an airfield was setup at Cochin to support Royal Airforce activities. In 1943, the airfield was established as a Royal Navy Air station to support Royal Navy ships. In Oct 1952, the Air station was rechristened Venduruthy II and on 11 May 1953, commissioned as INS Garuda by Shri Mahavir Tyagi, then Defence Minister. Commodore V B Bellary, Commanding Officer, INS Garuda hosted the anniversary celebration function at the Naval Base for entire unit and their families. The celebration consisted of aircraft display, entertainment programme by personnel from INS Garuda and their family members. Formal Cake cutting ceremony was followed by prize distribution. The celebrations were culmination of an intense period of operational and training activities wherein the station had achieved many accomplishments including the prestigious unit citation last year. INS Garuda is the only Naval Air Station under SNC and plays a major operational/ training role, including active conduct of HADR. The station had won much appreciation previously for its coordination of enormous quantum of air efforts during Kerala floods of 2018. The Commanding Officer, during his address emphasised the requirement to remain operationally ready at all times and reiterated Station’s commitment towards meeting all tasks.