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INS Viraat

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INS Viraat underway in February 2002
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Hermes
Ordered1943
BuilderVickers-Armstrong
Laid down21 June 1944
Launched16 February 1953
Commissioned25 November 1959
Decommissioned1984
Stricken1985
HomeportHMNB Portsmouth
Identificationpennant number: R12
FateSold to India in 1986
India
NameINS Viraat
AcquiredMay 1987
Recommissioned12 May 1987[1]
DecommissionedNovember 2016 (planned) [2][3]
RefitApril 1986, July 1999, Mid-2003-November 2004, August 2008-November 2009, November 2012-July 2013
HomeportMumbai, Maharashtra[4]
IdentificationPennant number: R22
MottoJalameva Yasya, Balameva Tasya (Sanskrit: "He who rules over the seas is all powerful.")
Statusin active service
Badge
Crest of INS Viraat
Crest of INS Viraat
General characteristics
Class and typeTemplate:Sclass-
Displacement
  • 23,900 tons standard
  • 28,700 tons full load
Length226.5 m (743 ft)
Beam48.78 m (160.0 ft)
Draught8.8 m (29 ft)
Propulsion2 × Parsons geared steam turbines; 4 boilers with 400 psi, 76,000 shp (57,000 kW)
Speed28 knots (52 km/h)
Range6,500 mi (10,500 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement
  • Maximum 2,100;
  • 1,207 ship's crew,
  • 143 air crew
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × BEL/Signaal RAWL 02 air radar
  • 1 × RAWS 08 air/surface radar
  • 2 × BEL Rashmi navigation radars
  • 1 × EL/M-2221 STGR fire control radar
  • 1 × Plessey Type 904 radar
  • 1 × FT 13-S/M Tacan system
  • Sonar:
  • 1 × Graseby Type 184M hull-mounted sonar
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • 1 × BEL Ajanta ESM
  • Decoy:
  • 2 × Knebworth Corvus chaff launchers
Armament
Aircraft carried

INS Viraat (Hindi : भा नौ पो विराट, from Sanskrit Virāṭa meaning Giant) is a Template:Sclass- in service with the Indian Navy. INS Viraat was the flagship of the Indian Navy before INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in 2013. The last British-built ship serving with the Indian Navy, she is the oldest aircraft carrier in service in the world.

Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy's HMS Hermes and was transferred to India in 1987. She was commissioned on 12 May 1987.[1] In 2009, unnamed Navy officers reported[5][6] that, following a refit that year, the carrier might be kept in service until 2020, as two Indigenous Aircraft Carriers (IACs) seemed likely to be fully operational by then.[5] However, the warship's age and cost of maintenance later prompted naval headquarters to consider decommissioning Viraat by 2017 or sooner.[7] In February 2015, the navy announced plans to decommission Viraat in 2016, and began the process to obtain Defence Ministry clearance for the carrier's decommissioning.[8] Although the navy stated in February 2016 that Viraat would be decommissioned in June and subsequently turned over to the Andhra Pradesh state government for conversion into a floating tourist attraction and luxury hotel, those plans had fallen through by April 2016, with the carrier's ultimate fate remaining uncertain.[9][2]

Design and description

A Sea Harrier takes off from INS Viraat. The Ski-Jump can be seen.

Viraat is fitted with a 14° ski jump to operate the Sea Harrier,[10] a reinforced flight deck, and 1.2 inches (3 cm) of armour over the magazines and machinery spaces. The magazine capacity includes at least 80 lightweight torpedoes. The vessel retains commando transport capability for up to 750 troops and carries four LCVP landing craft in the aft section. In a wartime scenario, the INS Viraat can embark up to 26 combat aircraft. INS Viraat is suited for two missions: supporting amphibious operations and conducting ASW operations.

Air group

(Capacity for 26 total)

Air Arm

Viraat had four squadrons on board :

Combat data systems

The ship has been fitted with

  • Italian SELEX (former ELMER) communication suites
  • CAAIS action data automation; Link 10
  • SATCOM systems

Operational history

Royal Navy Service

Main article: HMS Hermes (R12)

INS Viraat was originally commissioned in the British Royal Navy as HMS Hermes on 18 November 1959, 15 years after she was laid down in June 1944. During her career as Hermes, she served as the flagship of the Royal Navy's task force during the Falkland Islands campaign in 1982. She would serve the Royal Navy another three years until she was decommissioned from active duty in 1985.

Induction into Indian Navy

After evaluating vessels from several countries, particularly the planned Italian Garibaldi-class,[11] the Indian Navy purchased the vessel in April 1986[12] and gave her an extensive refit at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, England, to allow for continued operability into the next decade.[13] New fire control equipment, navigation radars, improved NBC protection, and deck landing aids were installed in this refit. Boilers were converted to operate on distillate fuel.

First mid-service refit

In September 1993, the engine room of Viraat flooded, putting the vessel out of service for several months. By 1995, the vessel was back in service and had a new search radar.

Second mid-service refit

Between July 1999 and April 2001, INS Viraat completed another life-extension refit which was expected to extend her serviceability until 2010. This refit upgraded propulsion systems, added a package of sensors to sound emergency alerts, and introduced modern communication systems. In addition, a long-range surveillance radar, weapon systems, and a new hangar with fire curtains were installed. The lift system was revamped to reduce reaction time in the event of an attack and a new flood alarm system was installed. In early June 2001 Viraat returned to service after nearly two years of refit.

The vessel also took part in the International Fleet Review in Mumbai in February 2001.

Third mid-service refit

The vessel had to be towed back to dry dock for another refit in mid-2003 and returned to service only in November 2004, during which the vessel was fitted with the Barak SAM.[14][15]

Indian Navy Sea Harriers and Indian Air Force SEPECAT Jaguars with a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet overfly Viraat.

Fourth mid-service refit

Viraat underwent a fourth refit in Indian service from January to August 2009 at Cochin Shipyard, Kochi, India.[4] This refit was expected to ensure her continued service in the Indian Navy until 2015. Viraat went through exercises in the Arabian Sea for a month and a half before being deployed to the Gulf of Aden.[4][16]

Short refit

On 12 July 2011 INS Viraat arrived at Cochin Shipyard for a short refit scheduled to be completed in two months. As part of the refit the ship was cleaned, repaired and repainted to eliminate the problems faced by years of sea corrosion. According to Rear Adm Anil Kumar Chawla, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff for Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence, it is possible that the ship could remain in service until 2020, provided that there are still Sea Harriers available for ship-borne operations[17]

Fifth mid-service refit

Viraat (top) escorting the Indian Navy's newly acquired aircraft carrier Vikramaditya during her delivery voyage

On 2 November 2012, Viraat arrived in Kochi for the first part of a major two-phase refit. In this first phase, scheduled to last through February 2013, the hull was cleaned, probed for corrosion and worn hull plates reinforced; the hull also received a fresh coat of corrosion-resistant paint.[18] The carrier was then scheduled to sail to Mumbai for further upgrades to her machinery, after which it would rejoin the fleet in the summer of 2013; the refit would enable her to serve through 2016. According to a senior naval officer, this would likely be Viraat's final major refit before her decommissioning.[19]

Short refit

From August through September 2015, Viraat underwent a final short refit to reinforce her hull and thoroughly inspect her pipes and hydraulic systems before her participation in the upcoming International Fleet Review, scheduled for February 2016.[20]

Decommissioning plans

In 2004, India bought the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov[21] from Russia for US$ 2.35 billion including its complement of aircraft.[22] It entered service in 2013 as INS Vikramaditya. Viraat was expected to be replaced by 2015-16 by a new indigenous Vikrant-class carrier, but after having her engine and hull refurbished and electronics upgraded, her service life was extended until 2020.[23][5] However, the warship's age and cost of maintenance subsequently prompted naval headquarters to consider decommissioning Viraat by 2017.[7] In December 2014, Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra, the Flag Officer Commander-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, said a review board had been established to determine Viraat 's continued service life, and that the carrier may be decommissioned by 2018.[24]

In February 2015, the navy announced plans to decommission Viraat in 2016, and began the process to obtain Defence Ministry clearance for the carrier's decommissioning.[25] In July 2015, it was announced that Viraat would be transferred to the Andhra Pradesh state government for conversion into a museum ship and tourist attraction, at a cost of ₹20 crore (US$2 million).

On 8 February 2016, Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, announced that Viraat would be decommissioned in June and would subsequently be handed over to Andhra Pradesh to promote tourism in the state.[2] On 10 February, it was reported that Viraat had been "de-operationalised" and could be converted into a 500-room floating luxury hotel, docked at Vishakapatnam, by the Andhra Pradesh state government.[26][27][28] The plans, however, had fallen through by April 2016, with deliberations on the carrier's ultimate fate still ongoing.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Surface Ships". Indian Navy. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b c C.H.R.S. Sarma (8 February 2016). "'INS Viraat' to be handed over to Andhra Pradesh after decommissioning". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  3. ^ Sujan Dutta (April 8, 2016). "Left-forbidden talks with US". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "INS Viraat out of dry dock, to sail to Gulf of Aden soon - India - DNA". Dnaindia.com. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  5. ^ a b c "Naval Air: Where There Were None, Now There Is One". Strategypage.com. 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  6. ^ INS Viraat refit complete, gears up for golden jubilee, Ritu Sharma, Indo-Asian News Service, 17 August 2009.Accessed 14 October 2010.
  7. ^ a b 3 December 2013 (2013-03-12). "Navy plans nuke-powered carrier - The Telegraph (Calcutta)". http://www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2013-12-12. {{cite news}}: External link in |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ S. Anandan (February 12, 2015). "INS Viraat to be decommissioned in 2016". The Hindu. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  9. ^ "INS Viraat is up for grabs, but so far no takers". DNAIndia.com. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  10. ^ China and the Asia-pacific Region: Geostrategic Relations and a Naval Dimension By Jae-Hyung Lee
  11. ^ The Naval Arms Trade By Ian Anthony
  12. ^ Students' Britannica India By Dale Hoiberg, Indu Ramchandani
  13. ^ Aircraft Carriers: The World's Greatest Naval Vessels and Their Aircraft By Chris Bishop, Chris Chant Zenith Imprint, 2004
  14. ^ Israel's Quest for Recognition and Acceptance in Asia: Garrison State Diplomacy By Jacob Abadi, Abadi Jacob
  15. ^ International Electronic Countermeasures Handbook By Journal of Electronic Defense Staff
  16. ^ IANS (2009-08-17). "The Hindu : News / National : INS Viraat refit complete, gears up for golden jubilee". Chennai, India: Beta.thehindu.com. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  17. ^ "Navy to operate Viraat aircraft carrier for another decade - The Economic Times". The Times Of India. 2011-01-19.
  18. ^ "INS Viraat arrives in Kochi for periodic refit". The Hindu. 2012-11-03.
  19. ^ "Major repairs for the INS Viraat, its replacement delayed again by Russia". NDTV. 2013-03-08.
  20. ^ "INS Viraat to have short refit". The Hindu. 24 July 2015.
  21. ^ Indo-Russian Military and Nuclear Cooperation: Lessons and Options for U.S Policy in South Asia By Jerome M. Conleyfrom
  22. ^ INS Vikramaditya#cite note-20
  23. ^ 19 Jan, 2011, 08.41PM IST,IANS (2011-01-19). "Navy to operate Viraat aircraft carrier for another decade - The Economic Times". Economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2011-02-26.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ PTI (4 December 2014). "Navy technical board to assess service life of INS Viraat". ABP. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  25. ^ S. Anandan (February 12, 2015). "INS Viraat to be decommissioned in 2016". The Hindu. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  26. ^ "Indian carrier Viraat 'de-operationalised' | IHS Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  27. ^ "Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Viraat may be modified into a luxury hotel". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  28. ^ "INS Viraat: A warship that will soon be converted into a hotel! : Travel Buzz, News - India Today". indiatoday.intoday.in. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  29. ^ "INS Viraat is up for grabs, but so far no takers". DNAIndia.com. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
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