Fate of INS Viraat hangs in balance

Majestic aircraft carrier INS Viraat is a few months away from decommissioning. However, the final call on whether it will be converted into a maritime museum or not is yet to be decided.

For the Ministry of Defence and the Navy, it is going to be a bit difficult and lot of things would be considered before taking the final decision. In fact, from the Vikrant experience, the defence ministry and the Navy would tread a cautious path as the Maharashtra government could not convert her into a museum and she had to be scrapped.

The decommissioning date of INS Viraat will be decided soon. “The date is to be finalised shortly,” said Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command.