About INS Viraat

• INS Viraat is a Centaur class aircraft carrier weighing 27,800 tonnes.
• It served in the British Navy as HMS Hermes for 25 years from November 1959 to April 1984. 
• It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in May 1987 after refurbishment and had operated Harrier fighter jets. 
• It was decommissioned in March 2017.
• INS Viraat holds the world record as mentioned in the Guinness Book of records for being the longest serving warship of the world.
• Viraat played a major role in Operation Jupiter in 1989 during the Sri Lankan Peacekeeping operation, after which she was affiliated with the Garhwal Rifles and Scouts of the Indian Army in 1990. 
• She also saw action during Op Parakram in 2001-2002, post the terrorist attack on Parliament. 

Why in News?

INS Viraat is set to be scrapped at a ship breaking yard at Alang in Gujarat soon.

More in News

• Several attempts by the Navy to preserve the carrier, by converting it into a museum or by other means, failed. 
• The government informed Parliament in July last year that it had been decided to scrap the carrier. 

Aircraft carriers with Indian Navy

i) INS Vikrant

• The first aircraft carrier to serve the Indian Navy became INS Vikrant (R11) in 1961. 
• The vessel was built up from the existing HMS Hercules of the British Royal Navy, a Majestic-class carrier.
• It played a key role in enforcing the naval blockade of East Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
• It was decommissioned in 1997.

ii) INS Vikramaditya

• INS Vikramaditya is at present India’s only operational aircraft carrier.
• INS Vikramaditya is the Indian Navy’s largest short take-off, but assisted recovery (STOBAR) aircraft carrier and warship converted from the Russian Navy’s decommissioned Admiral Gorshkov vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) missile cruiser carrier.
• INS Vikramaditya was commissioned into service in November 2013.

iii) Indigenous Aircraft Carrier or INS Vikrant

• Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1) is going to be the first indigenously built aircraft carrier, now under construction by Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
• It will be called INS Vikrant after being inducted into the Indian Navy.
• IAC-1 was launched in February 2013, with final approvals expected to be received in early 2022.

References:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ins-viraat-to-be-dismantled-at-alang-in-gujarat/article32436701.ece#:~:text=Decommissioned%20aircraft%20carrier%20Viraat%2C%20which,at%20Alang%20in%20Gujarat%20soon.
2. https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/ins-viraat-decommissioned
3. https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.asp?ship_id=INS-Vikrant-R11
4. https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/ins-vikramaditya-aircraft-carrier/