Vikrant: A Battle Half Won
The majestic aircraft carrier Vikrant has gone into pages of history – but she would always be remembered. She served the Indian Navy for 36 years – and then saw a battle for 18 years to be converted into a permanent maritime museum – but that did not happen. Around 150-plus workers, engaged 24x7 to break the 19,500-tonne ship, that played heroic role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war that resulted in liberation of Bangladesh. By the mid of 2015, she was scrapped.
But two things have happened – firstly, he Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved a proposal to display remnants of the famous warship INS Vikrant on a traffic island in front of Lion Gate in south Mumbai and secondly, during his visit to Dhaka in June last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the steering wheel of Vikrant to his Bangladesh counterpart Shaikh Hasina. As a matter of fact, Vikrant’s role in the Indo-Pak war of 1971 – that led to creation of Bangladesh is something that can never be forgotten.
Collectively, as a nation we could not save her. As a matter of fact the issue had figured in Parliament and in Maharashtra Legislature several times – but again, alas, she is gone. In fact during the 2014 Mumbai meeting of the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI), it was decided that communicators and media practitioners need to come together to save her. Some efforts was made – the press was full of reports when the battle reached the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court – but one day, she was taken to Darukhana, the shipbreaking yard of Mumbai and the process of dismantling her started.
Three persons who wanted that Vikrant should be coverted into a maritime museum are former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Defence Minister George Fernandes and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. While Vajpayee and Fernandes are not in good health, Thackeray, who had saved the ship from being auctioned earlier, passed away couple of years ago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during one of the election rallies ahead of Lok Sabha elections had lamented that there was no war memorial in India. If Vikrant could have been saved, there could have been an extension of National War Memorial – in Mumbai. But the new government – at the Centre – did not get much time to respond – and the condition of the hull of the ship was in a pretty bad shape.
For Indians, she would always remain close to their hearts – but in her seven decades of existence – Vikrant faced rough weather several times. Whether it is in United Kingdom or in India, she had faced problems – but the glorious period of the aircraft carrier was when in 1971, she took part in the India-Pakistan war when Bangladesh was liberated.
She was laid down in November 1943 and launched as Hercules in September 1945 – but construction was stopped after the second World War ended. In 1957, she was sold to India and in 1961 she was commissioned as INS Vikrant on March 4, 1961. She was decommissioned on January 31, 1997.
The project faced rough weather several times including protests fishermen and a section of environmentalists. She was also saved twice from heading towards scrapyards. Among the major problems that she faced – as financial constraints on part of the Maharashtra Government, which took the lead and decided to convert her into a museum.
The proposal to convert her into a museum was mooted by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi – the day she was decommissioned. However, the Navy had decided to auction it twice in 1999 and 2000, but late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray intervened and met Indian Navy officials and halted it. The Centre also sanctioned some funds to Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government, then headed by Narayan Rane, in 1999 for her upkeep.
When the Congress-NCP Democratic Front (DF) Government came to power, there was stiff opposition from the fisherfolk towards the project, however, the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, during an official visit to USA, had visited a museum aboard a carrier, and expressed confidence that the museum could be built on Vikrant.
When Sushilkumar Shinde took over the reins of the state – and elections approached in 2004, the momentum slowed down. However, when Deshmukh took over again, he had speeded up the project. Ashok Chavan, who was also the Chief Minister, also took keen interest in the project.
The then Tourism minister Chhagan Bhujbal (who was earlier Deputy Chief Minister) - also played a crucial role by taking keen interest in the project.
However, in the meanwhile 26/11 terror attack took place and there were security issues too. During the tenure of Prithviraj Chavan, the government communicated to Indian Navy that it was not in a position to convert her into a permanent museum.
She was to be permanently berthed off the Osyter Rock near the Radio Club alongside the Gateway of India - and the museum would have been a great tourism spot for Mumbai. A temporary museum aboard the ship that was now known as IMS Vikrant (Indian museum ship) – was operational for few years and opened on special occasions only.
The presence of an aircraft carrier in the inventory of any Navy provides tremendous reach, flexibility and certainly power. Its ability to cover vast distance with its integral air helps it to exercise sea control whilst at the same time it ensures air cover to the other units in company. The aircraft carrier is certainly an instrument of diplomacy as well. A musuem on board an aircraft carrier serves a purpose and the Western world has a few of them.
Vikrant: The War Heroine
India became an aircraft carrier nation with the commissioning of the INS Vikrant on February 16, 1961. She was brought to Bombay (now Mumbai) on November 3, 1961 and later became part of the Western Fleet. She was decommissioned on January 31, 1997 after 36 years of glorious service to the Indian Navy. The ship has a length of 700 feet, an extreme beam of 128 feet (width) and a draught of 24 feet. Her displacement is around 20,000-tonnes. She was also armed with powerful anti-aircraft guns. While Chetaks and the Westland-make Seakings operated from this ship, the initial batch of aircraft were the SeaHawks. The ship was also equipped with a catapult launch and arrester wire recovery. Later on the ski-jump was added and the carrier was made capable for SeaHarriers, which are short-take-off and vertical landing type. The ex-Royal Navy ship was one of the six majestic-class light fleet carriers and her keel was laid in 1943. The first active operation in which INSVikrant took part was for liberation of Goa in December 1961. The first war operation was the Indo-Pak war of 1965, but unfortunately she was undergoing her periodical refit at that time. Vikrant's real opportunity to show her prowess came in the 1971 Indo-Pak war when Bangladesh was liberated.
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VITAL STATISTICS
Type: Majestic-class light carrier
Displacement: 15,700 tons standard, 19,500 tons full load
Length: 192 m (630 ft) waterline, 213.3 metres (700 ft) extreme
Beam: 24.4 m (80 ft) waterline, 39 metres (128 ft) extreme
Draught: 7.3 m (24 ft)
Speed: 23 knots (43 km/h)
Range: 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement: 1,075 usual, 1,340 wartime
THE LIVE AND TIMES OF VIKRANT
Nov 12, 1943: Laid down in United Kingdom
Sept 22, 1945: Launched as HMS Hercules
1946: Further construction suspended because of World War II
1957: Sold to India
March 4, 1961: Commissioned as INS Vikrant
1971: Took part in the Bangladesh Liberation
Jan 31, 1997: Vikrant decommissioned, then CM Manohar Joshi says she would be made museum
Apr 1999: Navy says it can't maintain the ship, threatens to auction it
July 1999: Sena chief Bal Thackeray, then CM Narayan Rane visits the ship, promises Rs five crore for refit
July 2000: Again threat looms large for auction of the warship, then Dy CM Chhagan Bhujbal takes keen interest to revive the project
Sept 2000: TCS report says museum feasible and financially viable
Jan 2001: Vikrant enters dry dock, undergoes a major refit of worn out hull
Dec 2002: Vikrant museum complete, but awaits permanent grouting
Jan 2004: Then Defence Minister George Fernandes says Centre has sanctioned 42 crore for the project
Aug 2008: DF govt issues notification for the project
Nov-Dec 2010: Navy communicates with Maharashtra Government on theVikrant issue
Dec 2013: Navy says process of auctioning of Vikrant underway
Jan 2014: Bombay High Court rejects petition seeking conversion into maritime museum
May 2014: Vikrant being moved from Naval Dockyard to Darukhana, following Supreme Court order
Nov 20, 2014: Final process of scrapping Vikrant starts
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Hope lies on Viraat
The possibility of India having a permanent museum on board an aircraft carrier has not simmered down with the scrapping ofVikrant. In fact, INS Viraat, is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2016 – and the Ministry of Defence is open to the idea. In fact, media practitioners must campaign that there could be a high-class maritime museum on board India’s second aircraft carrier – once she is decommissioned.
She last British-built ship serving with the Indian Navy, she is the oldest aircraft carrier in service in the world and is one of three carriers based in the Indian Ocean region.
Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy's HMS Hermes and was transferred to India in 1987. She was commissioned on 12 May 1987.
NS Viraat is the centerpiece of Indian Navy’s Carrier Battle Group, which is a mutually-supportive and well balanced offensive array of maritime combatants, capable of multiple and varied missions spanning the entire spectrum of conflict from stable peace to all-out war.
History of Viraat
Her keel was laid in 1944 and she was launched on February 16, 1953. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy on November 18, 1959 as HMS Hermes. On May 12, 1987, she was commissioned under the White Ensign of the Indian Navy – and since then she had been serving the Indian interests. As HMS Hermes, she was the flagship of the South Atlantic Task Force during the beginning of Falklands War in 1982 – and during the conflict, her aircraft operated round the clocks and units from the ship destroyed a large number of enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground. By the time she returned home, she had completed 108 days of unbroken sea service and traveled more than 35,000 miles – a sort of record by itself. As a matter of fact, Prince Charles, the heir to British throne, also served on board Hermes. After the Falklands War, the ship was placed as a reserve and it was in April 1986 that India, in the quest of second aircraft carrier , signed an agreement with United Kingdom to acquire it. The ship underwent a year-long dry docking for essential repairs and modifications like the 12-degree launching ramp, popularly called, ski-jump. She underwent several refits in India and a mid-life upgrade.
Capability
INS Viraat displaces nearly 28,500 tonnes and is capable of operating Sea Harrier jump jets, a Short Take off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) fighter aircraftn and virtually all types of naval helicopters. The 12- degree ramp on the bows is the most striking visual feature of the ship and it helps to improve the safety factor as well as the radius of operation/payload carrying capacity of Sea Harrier. The ship is equipped with Close in Weapon System for self defence. The Computer Aided Action Information System (CAAIS) gives the command a complete picture of the tactical scenario based on information fed to the computer from all onboard sensors. This enables rapid decision making as reaction times, at sea, are minimal and makes possible the destruction of hostile platforms before they can threaten her.
Just imagine!....ATM, canteen, everything on board
With a complement of over 1,400 officers and men, including its air crew, the mighty ship has an adequate accommodation for her entire ship’s company and a healthy working environment. The ship has enough recreational facilities including a close circuit TV network with over 57 colour TV sets for screening instructional and entertainment movies, a studio for recording various informative and creative activities on board, a video library, music reproduction system, a modern gymnasium, indoor and deck games, library and information room. The ship has the biggest floating galley and bakery with modern appliances that can cater for crew of over 2,000. The ship has the capacity to carry 40 tons of dry provisions and 20 tonnes of fresh provision. On an average 350 kgs of rice, 7,000 parathas, 200 kgs mutton, 80 kgs of dal and 300 kgs of vegetables are prepared daily. The ship also has laundry which washes over 800 pairs of uniforms daily, a tailor and barber’s shop. Medical facilities include a 16-bed sickbay, a dental centre and two fully equipped operation theatres. Facilities like blood transfusion, X-ray examination, ECG and a full- fledged pathology laboratory. The sickbay is staffed by a surgeon, an anesthetist, a special aviation medicine centre, a dentist and 10 specialized sailors. The ship’s generator produce nearly 9 MW power – enough to meet power requirements for a small township ! The ship also has its own canteen as well as an ATM.
Vital Statistics
Built By: Vickers Ship Building and Engineering Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness, UK
Standard Displacement: 28,500 tonnes
Overall Length: 750 feet
Beam at Waterline: 90 feet
Beam at Flight Deck: 155 feet
Draught: 27 feet
Maximum Speed: 28 knots plus
Complement: 1,600 including aircrew
Air Wing: Sea Harriers, Sea Kings, Kamovs, ALH, Chetaks
