Headed for scrapyard? 10 facts about the INS Viraat

Before we bid the final adieu, here’s a flashback on all things accomplished by the INS Viraat on the high seas

 

 

The INS Viraat was originally commissioned into Royal Navy as HMS Hermes in 1959 and had been a British servant for 27 years before being welcomed into the Indian Navy fleet on 12 May 1987. It was the second aircraft carrier to be inducted after INS Vikrant and has now 58 years of service in its hold. Nicknamed the Grand Old Lady, it holds the Guinness Record for being the oldest serving warship.

 

Indian Naval sailors stand on the deck of aircraft carrier INS Viraat during a the Fleet Review (PFR-11) in Mumbai on December 20, 2011

 

Some of the Grand Old Lady’s illustrious campaigns on the sea including Operation Jupiter in 1989,  Operation Parakram and Operation Vijay in 1999 during the Kargil War. The ship has also participated in various international joint exercises like Malabar (with US Navy), Varuna (with French Navy), Naseem-Al-Bahr (with Oman Navy) and has been an integral element of annual Theater Level Operational Exercise (TROPEX). The last operational deployment of the ship was the participation in International Fleet Review (IFR-2016) at Vishakhapatanam on February, 2016.

 

The standard displacement of INS Viraat is 28, 500 tonnes and she is propelled by steam turbines with 76,000 shaft horsepower.

 

The Viraat belongs to the Centaur class of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy and was the last of the light fleet carrier designs started during the closing years of World War II. The first of four of the class was commissioned in 1953 and the final, decommissioned in 1984 (Viraat). The first three ships lacked an angled flight deck and were therefore unsuitable for fast jet aircraft, and production of a second four carriers in the class was cancelled. After its decommissioning in 1984, it was recommissioned after being refit and remodelled with the modern weaponry.

 

US Navy 070907-N-8591H-194 F-A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 102, F-A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 27, Indian Navy Sea Harriers, Indian Air Force Jaguars over INS Viraat (R 22)

 

The aerial fleet on board the INS Viraat includes 12 or 18 Sea Harrier V/STOL fighters and seven or  eight Sea King or Kamov 'Hormone' ASW helicopters. In emergencies, the Viraat can operate up to 30 Harriers. The ship operated Sea Harrier (White Tigers- fighter aircrafts), Seaking 42B (Harpoons- Anti Submarine helicopters) & Seaking 42C (Commando Carrier helicopters) and Chetak (Angles- SAR helicopter) as her main air elements. All Sea Harrier operations from the deck of INS Viraat ceased on 6 May 2016 following the retirement of Harrier fleet.

 

Ship has seen 18 Commanding Officers of which three went onto become Chief of Naval Staff viz Adm Madhvendra Singh, Adm Arun Prakash and Adm Nirmal Verma. INS Viraat has a standard displacement of 23,900 tons and a full load displacement of 28,700 tons. The total length of the warship is 226.5 meters and the breadth is 48.78 meters. The ship is manned by 150 officers and 1500 sailors. With such a complement, the ship is like a mini-city complete with attendant logistics infrastructure libraries, gymnasiums, onboard ATM counter, a TV and video studio. A full-fledged hospital and dental centre function onboard to cater to any emergencies

 

Under the Indian Flag, various aircraft have flown more than 22,034 hours from the decks of INS Viraat. She has spent nearly 2,250 days at sea sailing 5,88,288 NM (10,94,215 KM). This implies that Viraat has been at sea for over six years covering the entire globe about 27 times.

 

 

The motto of INS Viraat “Jalamev Yasya, Balamev Tasya” (One Who Controls the Sea is All Powerful) is truly reflective of the role that she is expected to discharge in furtherance of the nation’s maritime goals. The crest of INS Viraat depicts an eagle with five arrows. The eagle symbolises air power and the five arrows held in the talon represent the ship’s versatile weapon capability. The ship is affiliated to Garhwal Rifles and Scouts, an elite infantry regiment of the Indian Army, since their joint participation in Operation Jupiter.

 

On 23 July 2016, Viraat sailed propelled herself from Mumbai to Kochi, where she was dry-docked and prepared for decommissioning. Later, the carrier was towed by three tug boats out of Kochi on 23 October, returning to Mumbai on 28 October, where the ship rests now. A formal decommissioning is scheduled for sometime this year.

 

The AP government wanted the INS Viraat to rest in Vizag for promotion of tourism after its decommissioning and proposed it be turned into a museum, but the catch is that the Andhra Pradesh government is not willing to foot the entire bill and is asking the Ministry of Defense to chip in as well. The who will foot the bill question has left the fate of the INS Viraat undecided. Change in technology and the huge maintenance cost made the decommissioning essential for INS Viraat.

 

Marine Commando's climb down a rope from a Sea King helicopter during a simulated action onboard Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Viraat during an operational demonstration

with inputs from PIB