Legacy Of INS Viraat | Grand Old Lady – All You Need To Know

INS Viraat R22, the mighty Centaur class Aircraft carrier. INS Viraat served in the Indian Navy for nearly 30 years. The Service of INS Viraat is exceptional to the Indian Navy, as it served as only aircraft carrier for long time.

History

The INS Viraat was previously a Royal Navy Aircraft carrier. It was known as HMS Hermes R12. The HMS Hermas was Commissioned into Royal Navy in 1959. After serving for long 25 years, the HMS Hermas was decommissioned in the year 1984. Later, the HMS Hermas was overhauled and sold to the Indian Navy. The HMS Hermas as INS Viraat got Commissioned into Indian Navy on 12 May, 1987. The first Commanding officer of INS Viraat was Captain Vinod Pasricha, Nao Sena Medal (Retd).

Specifications

Class- Centaur class Aircraft Carrier

Displacement – 28,700 tonnes

Speed – 30 knots (55 Kmph)

Propulsion – 2 Parsons geared Steam Turbines

Range – 10,000 Kms

Armament –

1. 40mm Bofors Guns
2. Barak Vertical Launch SAMs
3. Twin CIWS AK-230

Operational History

The INS Viraat served in Indian Navy for 30 years. It played a key role in Maintaining the Peace and Tranquility in Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The Ship served most of its tenure in Western Naval Command. The Ship participated in Various Naval Exercises including Varuna (France) and Malabar (USA). It also played key role in OP Pawan and OP Parakram.

The Squadrons of INS Viraat

The INS Viraat Operated four Squadrons on its deck.

The decommissioning of INS Viraat

The Process to decommissioning the ship started in the year 2015. At first, the decision was made to transfer the ship to Andhra Pradesh Government. But the plan got failed. The last Commanding Officer of INS Viraat was Captain Puneet Chadha. The INS Viraat was formally decommissioned on 6 March 2017. The effort of preserving the ship into Museum and Hotel was unsuccessful. In online Auction, Shri Ram Shipping purchased the ship for Scraping. Finally, the Legendary INS Viraat has set sail to Alang  in Gujrat for Scarping.

The Service and Contribution of INS Viraat is very expectional. Lets Bid adieu to the Mighty Warship, you will be remembered forever.

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