Posted on 03/04/2009 4:04:31 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
This Indian warship is 50 and still raring to go
By Shiv Aroor in Kochi
“ I OBLITERATE those who dare to fight me”. There couldnt be a more fitting motto for a warship that is now half- a- century old — one that is the worlds oldest aircraft carrier still in full service.
The Indian Navys 28,700- tonne INS Viraat has steamed on without any major hitch for decades.
On November 18 this year, the iconic warship will mark 50 years since she was commissioned in the Royal Navy as the HMS Hermes . Now in Kochi undergoing her third refit ( she previously underwent refits in 1986 and 1999), the INS Viraat is being given an extensive overhaul of systems and structures, for what will, in all likelihood, be the final lap of a remarkable service life.
Wedged snugly in the repair dock of the Kochi shipyard, engineers and technicians work on the Viraats twin steam turbine engines, re- welding swathes of her reinforced plate metal hull, and providing a comprehensive maintenance routine on her hydraulic and mechanical systems — most of them as old as the ship herself.
“ Shes still in terrific shape. The maintenance programme will continue till July, after which the ship will be back at sea,” said Captain Anil Chawla, the Viraats commanding officer.
In January 2007, when this correspondent spent a day onboard Viraat , Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta had said, “ We are confident she is in good condition for seven more years of service.” The Navy will certainly be hoping thats true. With Indias indigenous aircraft carrier likely to be inducted no sooner than 2014, the Navy does not want to be confronted with the possibility of having no aircraft carrier even for a few months in the intervening period. But the Viraats obdurate toughness through half- a- century of operations, including a war in the South Atlantic, has brightened prospects of at least five more years of service without a hitch.
A senior engineering supervisor working on the ships refit said: “ The Viraat is still in commendable condition. I have heard people say she is in better shape now than she was when purchased from the British.” Thats no exaggeration. A team from the ships original builders Vickers- Armstrong ( now a part of British Aerospaces shipbuilding division) had a chance to visit the vessel two years ago along with a Royal Navy delegation. They concluded the ship was in far better condition than they had expected — and that the Indian Navy had done a phenomenal job stretching her longevity beyond anything the builders had envisaged when they flooded her drydock for the first time in 1953.
As a fitting tribute to the ship in the twilight of her life, the Navy is processing an application from a well- known UK agency to produce a historic documentary on the INS Viraat, one that will include rare and previously unseen archival footage of her performance in the Falkland War.
I recall the name from the Falklands war.
If any of our warships had that motto the RINOs in the House and Senate would being suing the Navy for its removal.
I’m afraid that our strategic relationship with India will wither on the vine under the Onazi party’s rule.
bump
O.M.G! It is like SUCH bad Karma. it's so HOStile!
Pictured below is a ship, from the nation of India, specifically doing exactly what that ship is doing, and a picture gets took, what the ship was doing was a photo op, you see that the ship looks pretty good. And I am the LAST sailor to say something bad against that. BUT I must say something, like “how many more of those you got”, or “I see 4 jets on deck, and I also see no elavators”.
Folks, I love the folks of another nation based upon experience, with countries like India, I have no avarice, no ill thoughts, and nothing but the best of intent, When I say this ship, is hollow of any real serious capabilty.
Looks better than any ship I had ever been on for several months of underwaytime. and would be soooo dwarfed by any US Carrier.
You’re thinking so much like a American!!! This carrier was/is not meant to blockade or bomb targets in Pakistan. It’s meant to defend industrial/oil facilities along the Konkan/Gujarat coasts from air/submarine strikes. It can carry far more than the four Harriers you see-and these are being upgraded with Israeli systems.
About an elevator, see for yourself-
http://www.acig.org/exclusives/viraat/viraat_2.htm
Like I’ve always said, a fresh coat of paint can hide all sorts of imperfections...But I do not believe that applies here...The Indian Navy is not a slouch outfit...
There are two elevators for aircraft on that ship. One is aft and to the starboard of the landing spots (circular) along the take-off path (stripe) leading to that “ramp” up forward...That elevator is that rounded off cornered rectangle amidships...
The other elevator is up forward on the portside just before the takeoff ramp...
In my opinion this ship has always just been another High Value target in any “Order of Battle” plan we have for such a contingiency...
Sure, it has been around for 50 years, big deal...It is only as good as the crew and pilots that fly off of it...
Hermes was critical during the Falklands War: its Harriers fought daily against the rather impressive Argentinian airforce.
Good to see the Indians taking it on: I’m sure it will work well for them.
If you’ll zoom into the picture, you’ll see a large oval in the flight deck immediately left of the first jet in the line back from the superstructure.
That is the elevator, I’m fairly certain.
The Indians have a capable navy.
However, to say that the ship or the Indian Navy has no capability is way off base. The Indians have complete control of the Indian Ocean. I doubt that any European navy or the Chinese would feel comfortable taking them on. The Russian could flood the area with SSNs, but other than that, they too would have a very difficult with a surface action group.
The Indian Navy's mission is to dominate Pakistan and to keep the Chinese out of the IO. It is quite adequate to both tasks.
I see at least two. Portside forward near the base of the ski jump and what looks to be just aft of the island.
Was that ski ramp on the bow original equipment or added later ?
It was added by the Brits in the 70’s I believe when they adopted the Harrier. She was originally built as a standard carrier
They recently bought the LPD U.S.S. Trenton.
Cool beans. Go India! Defeat Al-Quaida!
Indeed. Back in the day (60s): 
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