A.P. wants INS Viraat converted into luxury hotel

Fate of aircraft frigate unclear as Defence Ministry is yet to decide on proposal

Wait continues: INS Viraat, weighing 27,800 tonnes, is the world’s oldest aircraft carrier in service.

As it entered its last day in service on Monday after three decades of sailing, oldest aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy INS Viraat 's fate remains unclear as to whether it will be converted into a luxury hotel or will it head to the scrapyard to be broken up.

The Defence Ministry is yet to take a decision on a proposal from the Government of Andhra Pradesh to convert it into an entertainment hub in Visakhapatnam through a joint venture with the Government of India.

The Navy is keen on an early decision to avoid INS Viraat meeting the same fate as its predecessor Vikrant , which eventually went to the scrapyard.

Ministry’s call

Responding to a call from the Defence Ministry last year to all coastal States to put forward proposals on INS Viraat , A.P. has proposed to convert it into an offshore luxury hotel and build a Marina along with an entertainment zone around it. The proposal was communicated to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar by A.P. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

The 56-year-old aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, which served the Indian Navy for nearly three decades was decommissioned on March 6, 2017.

INS Viraat was the longest-serving carrier in the world and would have its weapon systems and operational equipment taken out after decommissioning.

In the summer of 1986, the Indian Navy was abuzz with excitement, waiting for the arrival of INS Viraat, then India’s second aircraft carrier, which would radically alter the Navy’s operational paradigms.

INS Viraat weighs about 27,800 tonnes and served in the British Navy as HMS Hermes for 25 years from November 1959 to April 1984 and after refurbishment, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in May 1987.

The Navy had maintained Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier, at Mumbai for 17 years as various proposals to convert it into a museum went back and forth unsuccessfully before the ship was eventually sent to the scrapyard in 2014. The Navy has also stated that it cannot keep the Viraat indefinitely as it would block space in the dockyard.

On its last day in service on March 6, 2017, the fate of INS Viraat remains unclear as to whether it will be converted into a luxury hotel or head to the scrapyard to be broken up.

The Sea Harrier aircraft which flew off the deck of INS Viraat have already been withdrawn and the Navy’s 300 squadron which operated them has since inducted the newer multi-role Mig-29K fighter aircraft. The ship had won the Royal British Navy the Falklands Wars against Argentina in 1982.

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In a follow-up to this, Mr. Naidu, in February-end, wrote to Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma for an “in-principle” approval to set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to execute the project.

Mr. Naidu has stated that his government intends to take forward the legacy of INS Viraat by making it a world class project on the lines of other global projects like USS Alabama, USS Constellation , and HMS Belfast .

“In view of above, your intervention is requested in giving an in-principle approval for setting up an SPV with a 50:50 sharing between the Government of India and the Government of Andhra Pradesh so as to take forward the prestigious and unique project at Visakhapatnam, which is fast becoming a prominent destination for foreign tourists,” Mr. Naidu requested the Union Ministers in the letters dated February 27.

The overall project is expected to cost about ₹1,000 crore and is estimated to entail an annual maintenance of ₹150 crore.

INS Viraat , weighing 27,800 tonnes, is the world’s oldest aircraft carrier in service.