Farewells galore for Navy’s INS Viraat

Mumbai will be hosting a series of farewell ceremonies on March 6 and 7 to mark the decommissioning of the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Viraat, the world’s longest serving aircraft carrier. It served for a total of 58 years, 30 years with the Indian Navy after being part of the British Royal Navy for 28 years.

Not only the Indian sailors, including even retired ones, who served on this ship, have been invited to be part of the ceremony but the naval chief of the United Kingdom and some officers associated with the ship when it was part of the Royal Navy will also be part of the emotional farewell.

The fate of the ship, postretirement, is still uncertain, though the Andhra Pradesh Government has offered to take the ship and turn it into a museum. Sharing of the cost to convert it into a museum was proving a hindrance as the Navy has assessed that it would cost more than Rs 1,000 crore.

India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant could not find any takers to convert it into a museum after it was decommissioned in mid 1990s. The government finally sent the ship to the scrap yard. Even this time only Andhra Pradesh Government showed interest in response to a Defence Ministry’s invite to all the littoral states to take the ship.

Giving details of a string of the send-off events, officials said the UK naval chief, known there as First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones and 15 British Navy personnel will attend the farewell dinner and related activities.

The Indian Navy men, including those who retired after serving on the ship, will also gather in Mumbai for the 2-day of festivities like "bada khana" (community dinner). The crew of INS Viraat will have breakfast on the ship on March 7 before it becomes part of history.

Before induction into the Indian Navy in 1987, the UK-built carrier, then known as HMS Hermes, had taken part in the Falkland war with Argentina in the last 1970s. Sir Jones had taken part in that war, though then serving a stint with HMS Fearless, a destroyer. Other UK personnel coming for the ceremonies are members of the Hermes Association, who have all served on the aircraft.

Explaining significance of the UK Navy’s participation, the officials said Britain has not undertaken a naval combat campaign since the Falkland war in which the aircraft carrier played a key role. INS Viraat is a 28,000tonne, 745 feet long and 160 feet wide ship operated by a crew of 1500.

With its exit, the only aircraft carrier left with the Indian Navy is INS Vikamaditya, which was inducted into service in 2013.