On a recent September afternoon, Captain Puneet Chadha looked relaxed in his office on the 57-year-old warship INS Viraat, at the Cochin Shipyard. “We are here to finish the essential repairs and dry docking,” the commanding officer says.
The reason for this is the ship, inducted into the Indian Navy in 1987 (after being acquired from Britain), is being decommissioned.“That means it will no longer be operational. And funds will no longer be allotted for its upkeep,” he says. “There are a lot of underwater openings, which will be blanked, to prevent flooding. Fire risks will also be reduced. This will make the ship safe for disposal.”
The repairs of the 742-foot long ship are expected to be completed by October. Thereafter, it will be towed away to Mumbai for the decommissioning ceremony early next year.“In fact, there have been talks that it would be set up as a museum at Visakhapatnam, but nothing conclusive has been decided yet,” he says.
Nevertheless, it is a ship that is steeped in history. In February when senior British engineer Conrad Walker of the HMS Defender arrived at Visakhapatnam to take part in the International Fleet Review, he was told that the INS Viraat was also participating.
He immediately got permission to board the aircraft carrier. The reason: he had served three years on it when it was the HMS Hermes and took part in the 1982 Falklands War.“Conrad went around and saw his old work,and mess areas,” says Captain Chadha. “He was surprised because the ship looked better than it was during his time. And that gave us a lot of pride. It speaks volumes of the dedication of our men, and support staff.”
The carrier is an impressive one with a large hangar and runway. “The ship can carry 24 aircraft in various combinations,” says Captain Chadha. “These include the Sea Harriers, Sea Kings and Chetaks.”
Viraat—the Sanskrit word for giant—has spent 2,250 days at sea, and sailed a distance of 10,94,215 km. An analogy would be that the carrier has circled the globe 27 times.
When it was fully operational, it had a crew of 1,500. The ship also has a 12-degree ski jump and can accommodate 750 troops. The Viraat played a major role in Operation Jupiter in 1989 (Sri Lankan Peace-Keeping Force), while in Operation Vijay (1999) it created a blockade against Pakistan during the Kargil War.
The ship has also participated in international joint exercises like Malabar (with the US Navy), Varuna (French Navy), and Naseem-Al-Bahar (Oman Navy). It also holds the Guinness Book of World Records for being the oldest serving warship.
Interestingly, five chiefs of naval staff, including the present incumbent Admiral Sunil Lanba, have served on board. “In fact, there is a saying in the Navy, ‘Once a Viraatee always a Viraatee’,” says Captain Chadha. “That is the pride we have felt while serving this mighty ship.”As a swift monsoon breeze blows, Captain Chadha looks sombre. “I feel sad that we will be leaving the ship, but at the same time I am happy that it can now enjoy a well-deserved retirement,” he says.