Mumbai, September 19: The longest-serving aircraft carrier INS Viraat on Saturday moved out of the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai for a ship-breaking yard in Gujarat. INS Viraat will be dismantled in Alang, the world's largest shipbreaking yard. The Indian Naval Ship de-commissioned after 30 years of service in 2017.

INS Viraat will reach Alang on Sunday midnight. Shree Ram Group had won the bid for breaking down the ship for Rs 38.54 crore. INS Viraat served both in the United Kingdom and Indian Navies. INS Viraat is being towed by a tug boat to Alang. World’s Oldest Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat Converting into Museum.

Pictures of INS Viraat Leaving Naval Dockyard in Mumbai: 

"The warship's steel is of high-grade quality. It also has bulletproof material and non-ferrous steel," reported The Times of India quoting Mukesh Patel chairman of Shree Ram Group as saying. According to the TOI report, several motorcycle manufacturing companies are in talks with Shree Ram Group for purchasing steel of INS Viraat. INS Viraat Was Not Used by Rajiv Gandhi For Vacation: Ex-Admiral Refutes PM Narendra Modi's Charges.

Video of INS Viraat Leaving For Shipbreaking Yard at Alang:

INS Viraat was a Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. The ship was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy's HMS Hermes. It was decommissioned from the Royal Navy in 1984.

It was sold to India in 1987. INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 12 May 1987. INS Viraat had a 14-degree ski jump to operate the Sea Harrier along with a reinforced flight deck, and 1.2 inches of armour over the magazines and machinery spaces. The ship had the capability of carrying up to 26 combat aircraft during wartime.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 19, 2020 01:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).