On final journey, INS Viraat makes port call in Odisha

Paradip (Odisha), Feb 12: On its farewell journey on the east coast, Indian navy's aircraft carrier INS Viraat made a call at the Paradip port in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha.

Set to retire soon, this is the first, and most probably the last time Viraat is visiting the Paradip port, a navy official said.

At Paradip, NCC cadets were hosted on the ship.

Commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1987, INS Viraat is a Centaur-class aircraft carrier which was the flagship of the Indian Navy before INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in 2013.

Set to retire soon, the ship was one of the key attractions at the recently concluded International Fleet Review (IFR).

Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy's HMS Hermes and was transferred to India in 1987.

IANS