Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma will sail on board India’s sole aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, later this week to mark the golden jubilee of the warship that is the oldest operational aircraft carrier in the world.
The Viraat, which has just come out of a massive refit to increase its service life till 2014, was originally commissioned as the HMS Hermes on November 18, 1959, into the British Royal Navy. The warship was later acquired by India in 1987.
Admiral Verma, who is visiting Mumbai to review the operational readiness of the Western Fleet, would spend a day on board the aircraft carrier to mark the golden jubilee. “The Navy Chief would witness fleet exercises, gun and missile firings by ships and aircraft as also observe aircraft operations from Viraat, which has rejoined the fleet after an extensive maintenance period,” said the Navy spokesperson.
The Viraat, which is also one of the smallest aircraft carriers in the world, had been out of service for over an year as it was undergoing a massive refit at Kochi. With the warship operating well beyond its original service life, engineers have been struggling to keep it going in recent years. The fleet of Sea Harrier fighters — the only kind that can operate from the warship — has also depleted over the years due to accidents, and only four operational fighters are currently left in service.
The Viraat, which has just come out of a massive refit to increase its service life till 2014, was originally commissioned as the HMS Hermes on November 18, 1959, into the British Royal Navy. The warship was later acquired by India in 1987.
Admiral Verma, who is visiting Mumbai to review the operational readiness of the Western Fleet, would spend a day on board the aircraft carrier to mark the golden jubilee. “The Navy Chief would witness fleet exercises, gun and missile firings by ships and aircraft as also observe aircraft operations from Viraat, which has rejoined the fleet after an extensive maintenance period,” said the Navy spokesperson.
The Viraat, which is also one of the smallest aircraft carriers in the world, had been out of service for over an year as it was undergoing a massive refit at Kochi. With the warship operating well beyond its original service life, engineers have been struggling to keep it going in recent years. The fleet of Sea Harrier fighters — the only kind that can operate from the warship — has also depleted over the years due to accidents, and only four operational fighters are currently left in service.
No comments:
Post a Comment