The Indian Navy bid adieu to its Sea Harrier jet fighters, known for their short take-off and vertical take-off and landing, in the year 2016. Resting at the Rajiv Smruthi Bhavan on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam is one of the last of the Indian Navy’s Sea Harrier jet fighters, the British-made reconnaissance-and-attack aircraft. This will soon be open for public display with the work at the Sea Harrier Museum nearing completion.
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The Indian Navy allotted one de-inducted Sea Harrier Aircraft (SH 606) to the State Government of Andhra Pradesh in 2019 to be converted into a museum for display at the Beach Road.
The museum is being developed by Visakhapatnam Metro Region Development Authority (VMRDA) by retrofitting and redesigning the Sea Harrier and the Rajiv Smruthi Bhavan. A Bengaluru-based company KPR Constructions was awarded the contract for the ₹7.5 crore project in 2020 following tenders floated by VMRDA.
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The decommissioned fighter jet plane Sea Harrier being installed inside the newly built Sea Harrier museum in Visakhapatnam | Photo Credit: KR Deepak
The glass facade at the entrance of the museum mentions the time frame during which the Sea Harriers were operational (1983-2016). Stepping inside, the towering airframe of the Sea Harrier greets the visitors. With all focus lights on it, the Sea Harrier seems ready to take off! It is displayed in a suspended take-off mode from the ceiling of the building. At the ground floor there are artefacts of the Sea Harrier describing the type of missiles it carried and its components. Moving ahead, one can view a gallery with pictures.
Additionally, a simulator is also placed along with the Sea Harrier airframe to showcase the role it plays in training the pilots. The flight simulator aids in effective training of pilots and factors in all situations encountered by a navy pilot, including deck landings on different warships and other emergencies. “By displaying the simulator here, our purpose is to enhance the knowledge of the visitors, especially the student community, and help them get an insight into the training process of naval pilots,” says Superintendent Engineer, VMRDA, V Bhavani Shankar. Th simulator is not functional and will only be for display purpose.
The decommissioned fighter jet plane Sea Harrier being installed inside the newly built Sea Harrier museum in Visakhapatnam | Photo Credit: KR Deepak
The VMRDA has also obtained Pegasus engines of Sea Harrier, one in pristine condition and the other engine with cut section modification and also various other spare parts of the engine used on-board Sea Harrier aircraft from the Repair and Overhaul Facility at Naval Aircraft Yard in Kochi.
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“We are also planning to have a brief audio-visual facility for the visitors which will highlight the role of the Sea Harriers,” says Bhavani Shankar. Among other plans, VMRDA has proposed to introduce a single entry ticket for all the three naval museums on the Beach Road for the convenience of tourists.
Once completed, the Sea Harrier Museum will be a part of the integrated Museum and Tourism Complex (IMTC) at the Beach Road which will include the existing Kursura Museum and TU 142 Museum. “All civil, electrical and air-conditioning works are completed. Display arrangements of various artefacts work is under brisk progress. We hope to open the museum in the next two weeks,” says Bhavani Shankar. Recently, District Collector A Mallikarjuna, who is also the VMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner, conducted review of the Sea Harrier Museum. “With the coming up of the Sea Harrier Museum, Visakhapatnam will perhaps be the only city to have three naval museums, each highlighting a distinct feature of the Indian Navy - a submarine, an anti-submarine aircraft and a jet fighter,” says Bhavani Shankar.
History
India became the second country to fly the Sea Harrier, built by British Aerospace, when the jet fighter was inducted along with the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. The Sea Harrier first entered service with the Indian Navy on December 16, 1983. While INS Viraat gave way to INS Vikramaditya, the Harriers paved way for the more advanced MIG 29Ks, which now occupy the deck of INS Vikramaditya.