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The Queen of Indian Navy

INS Viraat would continue to be the pride of the country and the Navy till it is to be replaced by INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov)

MIGHTY INS Viraat during an exercise Photo: K.R Deepak

She has an imposing presence right from the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea to Malacca Straits in the Bay of Bengal and to parts of the Indian Ocean. She stands as the biggest deterrent to the country's envious neighbours. She always moves in the company of a few menacing frigates, minesweepers and destroyers. You guessed it right, the inference is about the country's only aircraft carrier and the pride of the Indian Navy, INS Viraat.

The 750-foot long and 28,000-tonne Viraat is the biggest naval vessel east of Suez. Though she had visited this port city on a couple of occasions earlier, she is here at present for a very different purpose. INS Viraat is here as part of the Naval flotilla that is to be reviewed by the supreme commander of the Armed Forces and President of India, A.P.J Abdul Kalam, on February 12.

History

Prior to being commissioned under the Indian Navy she served the Royal British Navy and was called as HMS Hermes. Built by Vickers-Armstrong, this Centaur class carrier was completed and commissioned on November 18, 1959. Though she did not participate in any war after joining the Indian Navy, she served as the flagship of the Royal Navy's task force during the Falklands War of 1981. HMS Hermes was sold to India on April 19, 1986 and after a major refit at Davenport Dockyard, was formally commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Viraat on May 12, 1987.

Complements on board

With a crew of 1,500 men and 150 officers manning the 13 decks she has an assorted payload of over 30 aircrafts right from Sea Harrier jump jets to Kamov and Sea King helicopters. She also carries the Hindustan Aeronautics-built advanced light helicopters (ALH). Though her maximum speed is 28 knots, the economic speed is 12 knots and can cruise over 6,000 km on the trot.

Firepower

INS Viraat is fitted with a host of modern firepower including the Israeli Barak SAM anti-ship missile interceptor system. The magazine capacity also includes torpedoes of various sizes and weight. Apart from being the carrier of a deadly arsenal, she also serves as the commando transport vessel. At a time she can ferry over 750 troops and can carry over four landing crafts (LCVP).

Decisive edge

Aircraft carriers have been playing a decisive role in modern warfare since World War II. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour and the counter offensive of the US over Hiroshima and Nagasaki stand as testimony to the role of aircraft carriers. If not for the carriers both the Japanese and the US would not have come close to their targets. Carriers also facilitated the bombing of this city by the Japanese on April 6, 1942.

Even during the latest Gulf war the overawing presence of US aircraft carriers like USS Nimitz and USS Eisenhower in the Persian Gulf proved to be the deciding factor. Again during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict the focus was on the lone carrier INS Vikrant that was the then pride of the Indian Navy. Pakistan even sent its stealth submarine INS Ghazi all the way from Karachi to disable Vikrant, which was strategically rumoured to be stationed here. The sinking of Ghazi off the coast of Visakhapatnam by INS Rajput (as told by the Indian Navy) literally sealed the fate of the war in India's favour.

Now after the latest refit INS Viraat would continue to be the pride of the country and the Navy till it is to be replaced by INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov).

SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE

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