Patrol aircraft TU-142M to become aircraft museum at Vishakapatnam after 29-years of service

The Indian aircraft has landed in Vishakapatnam for the last time after it was decommissioned on March 29 at INS Rajali at Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, rendering 29 years of service to the defence forces.
Recently decommissioned naval aircraft - TU-142 M long-range maritime patrol aircraft - which made a final landing at INS Dega the naval base in Vishakapatnam on Saturday. | PTI
Recently decommissioned naval aircraft - TU-142 M long-range maritime patrol aircraft - which made a final landing at INS Dega the naval base in Vishakapatnam on Saturday. | PTI

VISHAKAPATNAM: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju along with Eastern Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief HCS Bisht received TU-142M, the long range maritime patrol aircraft of Indian Navy at INS Dega, here on Saturday.

The Indian aircraft has landed in Vishakapatnam for the last time after it was decommissioned on March 29 at INS Rajali at Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, rendering 29 years of service to the defence forces.

The aircraft was given an impressive welcome with a flypast of three Chetak helicopters, two Kamov helicopters, two Dorniers and one P-81 aircraft. Water guns pumped water from fire tenders, to welcome the the TU-142M.

CM Naidu and Bisht interacted with crew members of TU-142M and exchanged mementos. The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to park the aircraft at Beach road near Kursura submarine museum, and convert it to an aircraft museum.

Sources from Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) said that they are going to call tenders to convert the aircraft into a museum, and if everything goes well, the TU-142M will be open to tourists by the end of June. In the meantime, Navy officials need to complete other formalities, said officials.

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had given cheques of Rs 5 lakh to kin of missing persons on board the Indian aircraft AN-32, on July 22, 2016, in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Chennai. The family members also requested Naidu for government jobs which the CM promised to respond to positively.

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