INS Viraat: Everything You Need to Know About India's Longest Serving Warship

A large portion of the carrier has already been dismantled when the order to stop work for now came today.

Indian Navy Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the dismantling of decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat after hearing a petition by a firm seeking to convert the ship into a maritime museum and multi-functional adventure centre. The apex court also issued notice to the company that bought the ship from the government to be made into scrap.

A last-ditch effort was made to save India's longest-serving warship after a Mumbai-based company, named Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Limited, had come forward to convert the ship into a maritime museum that will be docked in the Zuari river in Goa. A large portion of the carrier has already been dismantled when the order to stop work for now came today.

• The centaur-class aircraft carrier was in service with the Indian Navy for 29 years before being decommissioned in March 2017.

• The aircraft carrier was originally commissioned by the British Royal Navy as HMS Heremes on November 18, 1959, and saw action during the Falklands War in 1982.

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• In 1986, the Indian Navy brought it and since then it has been its centerpiece, sailing 5,88,287 nautical miles.

• It was the flagship vessel of the Indian Navy before INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in 2013.

• It holds the record for being the world’s longest-serving warship as it served the Indian Navy for almost three decades.

• The Centre had in July 2019 informed the Parliament that decision to scrap Viraat was taken after due consultation with the Indian Navy.

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• A Mumbai-based company, named Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Limited, had come forward to convert the ship into a maritime museum that will be docked in the Zuari river in Goa. The Goa government has come on board for the project and written to the Ministry of Defence in this regard.

• The Defence Ministry in December last year had formally rejected an eleventh-hour plan to try and save INS Viraat from being broken up for scrap by the shipbreaker in Gujarat.

• The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the dismantling of decommissioned the aircraft carrier after hearing a petition by a firm seeking to convert the ship into a maritime museum and multi-functional adventure centre. It has also issued notice to the company that bought the ship from the government to be made into scrap.

• A large portion of the carrier has already been dismantled when the order to stop work for now came today.

News18 Reported.

Frequentaly Asked Questions (FAQ's) About INS Viraat

 Where is INS Viraat now?

INS Viraat, the world's longest serving warship, is moving towards the same fate as its predecessor Vikrant, with its dismantling now in progress even as a private firm is making a last-ditch attempt to instead convert it into a museum. INS Viraat was decommissioned in 2017.

Is INS Viraat aircraft carrier?

INS Viraat (Sanskrit: Virāṭa meaning Giant) was a Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. ... It was sold to India in 1987. INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 12 May 1987, and served for almost 30 years.

How many aircraft can INS Viraat carry?

25 aircraft

Viraat completed 2,258 days, covered 5,90,000 nautical miles and 22,622 hours of flying operations. It could carry 25 aircraft including Sea King 42 B/C, Sea Harrier fighters, Chetak, Kamov 31, and ALH helicopters.

Who purchased INS Viraat?

Mukesh Patel

Mukesh Patel, chairman of Shree Ram Group — the shipbreaker at Alang who purchased INS Viraat as scrap from an auction conducted by Metal Scrap Corporation Limited for Rs 38.54 crore — on Thursday said, “Though we are yet to get a formal order from the Supreme Court, we have stopped all dismantling work on INS Viraat.”

What is the full name of INS?

Indian Navy Ship

INS stands for Indian Navy Ship. The first Naval Force was established in India when India was under the British Empire. Formerly Indian navy was known as Royal Indian Marine, Royal Indian Navy, etc.

What is the oldest aircraft carrier?

With the inactivation of USS Enterprise in 2012 and decommissioning in 2017, Nimitz is now the oldest U.S. aircraft carrier in service, and the oldest serving aircraft carrier in the world.

When was INS Viraat decommissioned?

March 2017

The ship was decommissioned by the Indian Navy in March 2017. In July 2020, the Ministry of Defence sold it for Rs 38.54 crore to Shree Ram Group, a shipbreaking company based in Alang in Gujarat.