India’s longest serving warship INS Viraat on Saturday set sail upon its final journey to Gujarat’s Alang. INS Viraat was towed by tug boats from Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The Indian Navy’s longest serving warship will be dismantled at shipbreaking yard in Alang. INS Viraat will reach Alang on Sunday midnight. ‘Flying Bullets’, IAF’s No. 18 Squadron, Becomes Operational After Induction of LCA Tejas Mk 1 Aircraft.
A Navy helicopter encircled the airspace when the ship was leaving the dockyard. Shree Ram Group had won the bid for breaking down the ship for Rs 38.54 crore, reported The Times of India. The Indian Naval Ship de-commissioned after 30 years of service On March 6, 2017.
Video of INS Viraat Sailing on Its Final Journey:
The aircraft carrier had been kept at the Naval dockyard after its decommissioning. The naval warship was at sea for over 2,250 days. It had covered a distance of 5.9 lakh nautical miles.
INS Viraat as a Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. The ship was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy’s HMS Hermes, and decommissioned in 1984. It was sold to India in 1987. 28 Years of Mig-25 Garuda’s First Sortie: IAF’s Tweets on Historic Day When Supresonic Aircraft Took Off For Its Maiden Flight.
Images of INS Viraat Sailing For The Last Time:
INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 12 May 1987. It played played a crucial role in military operations such as Operation Jupiter, Operation Parakram and Operation Vijay. INS Viraat had a 14° ski jump to operate the Sea Harrier along with a reinforced flight deck, and 1.2 inches of armour over the magazines and machinery spaces. The magazine capacity included at least 80 lightweight torpedoes..
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