Maha, Goa, AP interested in preserving INS Viraat

MUMBAI: Maharashtra, Goa and Andhra Pradesh have shown their willingness to preserve the decommissioned aircraft carrier, INS Viraat. On Monday, senior Navy officials said that the Maharashtra government had visited the ship while the remaining two states had shown interest in preserving the aircraft carrier, which decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai in July.

Vice-Admiral Girish Luthra, Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, said, “The Maharashtra government has studied the ship’s final location and its officials have visited the ship. It will soon send a report to the Centre and we are expecting a decision soon.”

Luthra was at the affiliation ceremony of  INS Kochi with the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment (JAKLI). According to reports, the event marked the end of an era for INS Viraat as the flagship of the Navy. The Centaur-class carrier spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and 27 years in the Royal Navy.

In August, JAKLI was affiliated with INS Kochi and 51 Squadron Air Force, at a ceremony held at the JAKLI Regimental Centre in Rangreth on the outskirts of Srinagar.