Chennai:
INS Viraat, set to go down in the history by the end of the year, is bidding adieu to the East Coast but the aircraft career’s master chief marine engineer First Class T P Singh believes the gigantic vessel still has life to sail for many more years.
Interestingly, Singh’s life is tied down to INS Viraat, majestic looking aircraft carrier, which was commissioned into the Britain’ s Royal Navy on 18 November 1959 as HMS Hermes and later reborn as INS Viraat on May 12, 1987.
“I joined the Indian Navy on 11 February 1985 but left for United Kingdom on December 1986 to be part of the aircraft carrier which was commissioned on May 12, 1987 at Plymouth in United Kingdom by then High Commissioner of India to United Kingdom,” recalls Singh, who has spent 23 of his valuable 31 years career in the ship.
“I had two breaks one between 1992-95 when I was transferred to INS Shivaji and another at Kochi between 2002-2005. I also had undergone training for some years. But then 23 years I have put in onboard Viraat,” says Singh.
Interestingly, like INS Viraat, Singh will also bid farewell to Indian Navy on February 2017, once the aircraft carrier is decommissioned.
“I have six years but then it is like getting into another ship and learning the technology all over again My life is with Viraat,” Singh, who hails from Lucknow, says.
He also says that maintenance of INS Viraat is one of the big issue. It is very old aircraft and it is difficult to get the spares. We did face some issues with the boilers of the ship,” he says.
Singh has penned a couple of poems hailing INS Viraat as he shares it with reporters. “ It is Indian Navy’s pride,” he says of the world’s only steam propelled aircraft carrier of the world.
While the ship is likely to be converted into a docked museum for Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation,
Punnet Chaddha, the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier, told reporters, that the ship is also affiliated to Garhwal Rifles, which boarded the aircraft carrier during Operation Jupiter in 1989. It has a capacity of having 30 aircraft. Currently, the aircraft carrier has six Sea Harriers, five Sea King helicopters and two chetaks.
The sea harriers, which were tried and tested in HMS Hermes, is still under good condition. Interestingly, the ship, which had been part of Falklands Campaign, has never been part of any conflict after being commissioned into India.
As INS Viraat fades into history, India will be left with only INS Vikaramaditya as the lone aircraft carrier. But Chaddha says that indigenously built 283 metre long INS Vikrant would be ready to be commissioned at Kochi. .
Factfile:
INS Viraat (earlier HMS Hermes)
Nov 18, 1959: Commissioned into Royal Navy, United Kingdom
1959-1970: HMS Hermes served as one of Royal Navy’s four strike carriers
1970: Hermes switched to second existence as commando carrier or Landing Platform Helicopter
Feb 1977: Hermes first embarked the Sea Harriers for trials. It became the world’s first fixed wing jet- propelled aircraft
1982: The ship saw action in to regain Falklands and South Georgia from Argentina.
Nov 22, 1983: Decommissioned from Royal Navy.
May 12, 1987: Indian Navy rechristens Hermes as INS Viraat.
1989: Viraat spearheads operation Jupiter to support de-induction of Indian personnel from sri lanka. It mounted 76 helo corties off Kochi to embark over 350 army personnel and 35 tonnes of stores of 7 Garhwal Rifles.
Operation Parakram: On Dec 13, 2001, terrorists attacked Parliament resulting in Operation Parakram. INS Viraat played a pivotal role for exercising sea control over north Arabian sea.
Ship Motto:It follows Maratha king Chatrapati Shivaji’s guiding principle ‘One who Controls the Sea is all Powerful.’
The Crest: The crest of INS Viraat depicts an eagle with five arrows. The eagle symbolises air power and the five arrows help in the talons represent ship’s versatile weapon capability.
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