INS Viraat

INS Viraat (R22) in 2002
India
Name:	INS Viraat
Acquired:	May 1987
Recommissioned:	12 May 1987
Decommissioned:	6 March 2017
Out of service:	23 July 2016
Refit:	April 1986, July 1999, Mid-2003-November 2004, August 2008-November 2009, November 2012-July 2013
Homeport:	Mumbai, Maharashtra
Identification:	Pennant number: R22
Motto:	Jalameva Yasya, Balameva Tasya (Sanskrit: "He who rules over the seas is all powerful")
Nickname(s):	Grand Old Lady
Status:	Awaiting disposal
Badge:
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Hermes (R12)
Ordered:	1943
Builder:	Vickers-Armstrong
Laid down:	21 June 1944
Launched:	16 February 1953
Commissioned:	25 November 1959
Decommissioned:	1984
Struck:	1985
Homeport:	HMNB Portsmouth
Identification:	pennant number: R12
Fate:	Sold to India in 1986
General characteristics
Class and type:	Centaur-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:	23,900 tons standard 28,700 tons full load
Length:	226.5 m (743 ft)
Beam:	48.78 m (160.0 ft)
Draught:	8.8 m (29 ft)
Propulsion:	2 × Parsons geared steam turbines; 4 boilers with 400 psi, 76,000 shp (57,000 kW)
Speed:	28 knots (52 km/h)
Range:	6,500 mi (10,500 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement:	Maximum 2,100; 1,207 ship's crew, 143 air crew
Sensors and processing systems:	1 × BEL/Signaal RAWL 02 air radar 1 × RAWS 08 air/surface radar 2 × BEL Rashmi navigation radars 1 × EL/M-2221 STGR fire control radar 1 × Plessey Type 904 radar 1 × FT 13-S/M Tacan system Sonar: 1 × Graseby Type 184M hull-mounted sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	1 × BEL Ajanta ESM Decoy: 2 × Knebworth Corvus chaff launchers
Armament:	2 × 40 mm Bofors AA guns 16 × Barak SAM VL cells 2 × twin AK-230 CIWS
Aircraft carried:	Up to 26 aircraft, including 16 * British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS51 4 * Westland Sea King Mk.42B-C 2 * HAL Chetak 4 * HAL Dhruv

INS Viraat (Sanskrit: Virāṭa meaning Giant) was a Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. INS Viraat was the flagship of the Indian Navy before INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in 2013. The last British-built ship serving with the Indian Navy, she was the oldest aircraft carrier in service in the world. 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. INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 12 May 1987, and served for almost 30 years.

In February 2015, the Navy stated that Viraat would be decommissioned the following year. On 23 July 2016, Viraat sailed for the last time under her own power from Mumbai to Kochi, where she was dry-docked and prepared for decommissioning. She was towed out of Kochi on 23 October, returning to Mumbai on 28 October, where she was laid up.Viraat was formally decommissioned on 6 March 2017. Her ultimate fate is currently undetermined.

INS Viraat had a 14° ski jump to operate the Sea Harrier along with a reinforced flight deck, and 1.2 inches (3 cm) of armour over the magazines and machinery spaces. The magazine capacity included at least 80 lightweight torpedoes. The vessel retained commando transport capability for up to 750 troops and carried four LCVP landing craft in the aft section. In a wartime scenario, the ship could carry up to 26 combat aircraft and was suited for supporting amphibious operations and conducting ASW operations.

The aircraft on board INS Viraat were operated by four squadrons of the Naval air arm of the Indian Navy:

Primary strike aircraft have been the Sea Harriers operating several modern missiles such as the British anti-ship Sea Eagle missile, and the French Matra Magic missile for air-to-air combat. Other ordnance has included 68 mm rockets, runway-denial bombs, cluster bombs, and podded 30 mm cannons. In 2006, the Indian Navy started the 'Limited Upgrade Sea Harrier (LUSH)' program by upgrading up to 15 Sea Harriers in collaboration with Israel by installing the Elta EL/M-2032 radar and the Rafael 'Derby' medium-range air-to-air BVR missile.