INS Viraat to be decommissioned on March 6: Brief history of world’s oldest serving aircraft c

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The INS Viraat was originally commissioned by the British Navy as HMS Hermes on November 18, 1959. She was decommissioned in 1984 and sold to India in 1987.

New Delhi, 02 Mar 2017: The world’s oldest serving aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, will be decommissioned on March 6. Serving the Indian Navy for the last 30 years, Virat is the last serving British-built ship in the country. While addressing the media on Monday, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra said when the ship was purchased, India had planned to use it for five years. It went on to serve for 30 years. Its decommissioning is a historic moment for the Indian Navy.

 

The INS Viraat was originally commissioned by the British Navy as HMS Hermes on November 18, 1959. She was decommissioned in 1984. In 1986, India was examining a number of vessels from several countries. Finally, it decided to lay its hands on the British carrier. Soon after, it was sent to Devonport dockyard to be refitted and sold to India for a sum of $465 million. In India, it was rechristened as INS Viraat.

 

 

The ship had been given a new shape in the form of navigation radars, new fire control equipment, new deck landing aids and so on. Once in India, it had been rendered inactive on several occasions and refitted for further use. Due to advances in modern navigation and communication systems over the last 30 years, the ship had to be remodelled accordingly. Despite its consistent need for repairs, it was still a pride for the country’s navy. In 2001, she was a part of the International Fleet Review in Mumbai.

 

In 2012-2013, the carrier underwent its last phase of refitting at Kochi and then at Mumbai so that it could be used till 2016. In 2015, it was further inspected before being made a part of the International Fleet Review in February 2016.

 

When India bought the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov in 2004, it was expected to replace INS Viraat by 2015-16. Even though previous examination had resulted in the ship’s service to be extended till 2020, the age and cost of maintenance were seen as necessary factors necessitating its early decommissioning. In February 2015, the Indian Navy announced the decommissioning of Viraat by 2016. Last time the carrier made its way into Indian waters was on July 23, 2016, when it sailed from Mumbai to Kochi.

 

While its decommissioning date has been set for March 6, the Ministry of Defence is yet to decide on its eventual fate. When asked why the historic navy vessel cannot be converted into a heritage property, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra is reported to have said due to shortage of space, war ships cannot be stored in museums. After the decommissioning of INS Viraat, the Indian Navy will be left with just one aircraft carrier, the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov, renamed as INS Vikramaditya.