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INS Viraat to be decommissioned in 2016.

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The Navy is learnt to have taken the call to retire the decrepit warhorse INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier that has had a service life of 56 years as on date — first as HMS Hermes in the Royal British Navy and in its present avatar since 1987.

Viraat — which saw action in the Falklands War and remained for well over a decade the sole aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean region following the decommissioning of the first Indian carrier INS Vikrant in 1997 — is slated to have a grand farewell at the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam in February 2016.

It is in the process of obtaining Defence Ministry’s clearance to the retirement plan.

Mounting maintenance costs and rapid depletion of its integral fleet of Sea Harrier jump jets are said to have catalysed the decision to decommission Viraat. The Navy shelled out Rs. 70 crore for the last routine refit of the carrier.

The carrier was to have been dry-docked at the shipyard for the next round of periodic refit in December last year, but it was called off in view of the retirement proposal. Viraat is now expected to have its decommissioning refit sometime in the middle of 2015, say sources.

The retirement call was forced, in part, by the dwindling fleet of Sea Harrier fighters operating from the deck of Viraat. While the limited upgrade Sea Harrier (LUSH) programme bestowed the fighters with modern avionics and beyond visual range (BVR) strike capability, the ageing airframe has been a concern. Not more than seven Sea Harriers are available at the moment — some of them cannibalised (used as ‘Christmas Tree’ for spares) to keep the relatively agile ones airworthy.

“Thanks to the Navy’s stringent maintenance regimen, we have been able to operate Viraat without major glitches until now. But the Harrier fleet has dwindled so much that within the Navy, Viraat is often referred to as a ‘One Harrier carrier’. No point flogging it any further,” an official said.

India’s first carrier Vikrant, which was turned into a maritime museum post-retirement in 1997, has now been broken up after its upkeep became ostensibly unviable.

INS Viraat to be decommissioned in 2016 - The Hindu
 
The Navy is learnt to have taken the call to retire the decrepit warhorse INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier that has had a service life of 56 years as on date — first as HMS Hermes in the Royal British Navy and in its present avatar since 1987.

Viraat — which saw action in the Falklands War and remained for well over a decade the sole aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean region following the decommissioning of the first Indian carrier INS Vikrant in 1997 — is slated to have a grand farewell at the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam in February 2016.

It is in the process of obtaining Defence Ministry’s clearance to the retirement plan.

Mounting maintenance costs and rapid depletion of its integral fleet of Sea Harrier jump jets are said to have catalysed the decision to decommission Viraat. The Navy shelled out Rs. 70 crore for the last routine refit of the carrier.

The carrier was to have been dry-docked at the shipyard for the next round of periodic refit in December last year, but it was called off in view of the retirement proposal. Viraat is now expected to have its decommissioning refit sometime in the middle of 2015, say sources.

The retirement call was forced, in part, by the dwindling fleet of Sea Harrier fighters operating from the deck of Viraat. While the limited upgrade Sea Harrier (LUSH) programme bestowed the fighters with modern avionics and beyond visual range (BVR) strike capability, the ageing airframe has been a concern. Not more than seven Sea Harriers are available at the moment — some of them cannibalised (used as ‘Christmas Tree’ for spares) to keep the relatively agile ones airworthy.

“Thanks to the Navy’s stringent maintenance regimen, we have been able to operate Viraat without major glitches until now. But the Harrier fleet has dwindled so much that within the Navy, Viraat is often referred to as a ‘One Harrier carrier’. No point flogging it any further,” an official said.

India’s first carrier Vikrant, which was turned into a maritime museum post-retirement in 1997, has now been broken up after its upkeep became ostensibly unviable.

INS Viraat to be decommissioned in 2016 - The Hindu

Doesn't make much sense to throw money at her to keep her around a few more years now that the INS Vikramditya is in service and thus the IN able to train personnel in carrier ops. Also good to retire the Sea Harriers rather than risking a major mishap.
 
Does that mean sea harrier fleet will be retired too? Anyway Ins Vikramaditya has taken charge of western fleet and upcoming Ins Vikrant will arrive in 3 years too so better we retire Viraat.
 
for god sake please dont sell it for scraper please please
 
cant it be turned into casino or something like that for tourist???
I don't think Indian navy will allow for casino but yes museum is what you can expect like old Ins Vikrant was till very recent.
 
Does that mean sea harrier fleet will be retired too? Anyway Ins Vikramaditya has taken charge of western fleet and upcoming Ins Vikrant will arrive in 3 years too so better we retire Viraat.

The whole point of retiring the ship is because there are no harriers to fly off it.

The ship itself can slog for a few more years, the sea harriers cannot. Not without seriously jeopardizing the life of the pilots.

I do hope the Navy uses the ship for a few more years to train its crew, but it just might be far too expensive to maintain it. :(
 
Does that mean sea harrier fleet will be retired too?

I guess upgraded ones having BVR can protect our shore based naval facilities in times of war at least. Since they are jump jets they don't require dedicated tarmac to take off.
 
The whole point of retiring the ship is because there are no harriers to fly off it.

The ship itself can slog for a few more years, the sea harriers cannot. Not without seriously jeopardizing the life of the pilots.

I do hope the Navy uses the ship for a few more years to train its crew, but it just might be far too expensive to maintain it. :(
Yes. No point operating it further. Anyway I saw Viraat in Mumbai 2 months back infront of Gate way of India( at some distance though).
 
Viraat really isn't in a very good condition. With Navy having fund's crunch, even if a major re-fit is taken now, it won't allow ship beyond 2020 by which time INS Vikrant (IAC 1) would be commissioned. & so while INS Viraat has been a jewel in IN's crown, i think time has come to let the boat rest forever.
 
I guess upgraded ones having BVR can protect our shore based naval facilities in times of war at least. Since they are jump jets they don't require dedicated tarmac to take off.
Naah bro. There are hardly 7-8 harriers left who can fly. Maintaining such a small fleet without much spare parts would not be possible. The sole reason they are still active was Ins Viraat. Their weapons can be used else where like for Tejas( Derby is being considered for Tejas too).
 
I believe Navy will continue this warship till they are getting IAC -1
 
The Navy is learnt to have taken the call to retire the decrepit warhorse INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier that has had a service life of 56 years as on date — first as HMS Hermes in the Royal British Navy and in its present avatar since 1987.

Viraat — which saw action in the Falklands War and remained for well over a decade the sole aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean region following the decommissioning of the first Indian carrier INS Vikrant in 1997 — is slated to have a grand farewell at the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam in February 2016.

It is in the process of obtaining Defence Ministry’s clearance to the retirement plan.

Mounting maintenance costs and rapid depletion of its integral fleet of Sea Harrier jump jets are said to have catalysed the decision to decommission Viraat. The Navy shelled out Rs. 70 crore for the last routine refit of the carrier.

The carrier was to have been dry-docked at the shipyard for the next round of periodic refit in December last year, but it was called off in view of the retirement proposal. Viraat is now expected to have its decommissioning refit sometime in the middle of 2015, say sources.

The retirement call was forced, in part, by the dwindling fleet of Sea Harrier fighters operating from the deck of Viraat. While the limited upgrade Sea Harrier (LUSH) programme bestowed the fighters with modern avionics and beyond visual range (BVR) strike capability, the ageing airframe has been a concern. Not more than seven Sea Harriers are available at the moment — some of them cannibalised (used as ‘Christmas Tree’ for spares) to keep the relatively agile ones airworthy.

“Thanks to the Navy’s stringent maintenance regimen, we have been able to operate Viraat without major glitches until now. But the Harrier fleet has dwindled so much that within the Navy, Viraat is often referred to as a ‘One Harrier carrier’. No point flogging it any further,” an official said.

India’s first carrier Vikrant, which was turned into a maritime museum post-retirement in 1997, has now been broken up after its upkeep became ostensibly unviable.

INS Viraat to be decommissioned in 2016 - The Hindu

End of an era & i hope the navy turns it into a museum
 
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