Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat Decommissioned

The Indian Navy has decommissioned one of her two aircraft carriers.  INS Viraat (Giant)was decommissioned on 6 Mar 2017 after 30 years of service. INS Viraat was bought from the Royal Navy which decommissioned the ship after serving 27 years as HMS Hermes. HMS Hermes saw service as the flagship of the Task force that the British sent to re-claim the Falkland Islands.

India will operate one aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, until 2020 when the indigenously built INS Vikrant will enter service.



http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/the-ins-viraat-has-begun-its-final-journey-1268077

Indian Navy Commissioned INS Kochi Destroyer

On 30 September 15, the Indian Navy commissioned its latest destroyer, the INS Kochi. At 7500 tonnes, she is one of the largest destroyers in the world. Aside from her size, what makes Kochi so potent is her state-of-the-art sensors and weapon systems. Kochi is equipped with the Israeli built MF-STAR phased array radar which is capable of tracking multiple targets several hundreds of kilometres away. The radar is paired with the new vertical launch Barak-8 which can engage aerial taregts up to 100 kilometres away. Other armament includes two multi-role naval helicopters, BrahMos cruise missiles, torpedoes, RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers 76mm Oto Melara Super Rapid Gun and 30mm AK-630 close-in weapon gun mounts.  The sensors installed are EL/M-2248 MF-STAR active phased-array radar, RAWL-02 Mk 3 L-band radar and a Atlas Elektronic low-frequency active towed-array sensor (to be installed in 2016). The Kochi is the second in a class of three Kolkata class destroyers being built by Mazgaon Docks in Mumbai. The Kolkata class destroyer measures 164 metres in length and 17 metres at the beam.  Propulsion is provided by four gas turbines, giving a top speed in excess of 30 knots. The destroyer is manned by about 40 officers and 350 sailors.


Video Tour of Kochi

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