The aircraft carrier INS Viraat, flagship of the Indian Navy from 1987 to 2012, will be decommissioned by the end of this year.

The Andhra Pradesh State Government, however, seems to be interested in berthing the warship at Visakhapatnam, headquarters of the navy's Eastern Naval Command, to promote tourism after its decommissioning.

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The "Grand Old Lady," as she's fondly called, is also the world's oldest aircraft carrier at 55 years-old. A  British-built carrier, she spent the first 27 years of her life with the Royal Navy before being commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1987.

The INS Vikramaditya, also an aircraft carrier, replaced the Grand Old Lady as the navy flagship in 2013.

The Grand Old Lady was given an emotional send-off at Ernakulam Wharf at the Cochin Port Trust in Kochi as she began her final voyage to Mumbai where she will be decommissioned. Among the dignitaries at the send-off were the Chief of Staff of the Southern Naval Command Rear Admiral Ravindra Jayanti Nadkarni.

In her glory days, the Viraat carried two squadrons of BAE Sea Harrier V/STOL carrier-borne strike fighters. She had a crew of 1,500 men. Her most prominent feature was her 12 degree ski jump used for launching aircraft.

She was the lead ship in the navy task force taking part in Operation Vijay that blockaded Pakistan during the Kargil War in 1999. She has taken part in many multinational naval exercises.

The navy said Viraat (the Sanskrit word for giant) spent 2,250 days at sea, and sailed a distance of 10,94,215 km, which is equivalent to circling the Earth 27 times.

She was originally commissioned by the Royal Navy as HMS Hermes on November 18, 1959. A Centaur-class aircraft carrier, she served as the flagship of the Royal Navy's task force during The Falkland War against Argentina that lasted 72 days in 1982. She was decommissioned from active duty in 1985.

In April 1986, Hermes was towed from Portsmouth Dockyard to Devonport Dockyard to be refitted, re-activated and sold to India.

Last July 23, Viraat sailed for the last time under her own power from Mumbai to Kochi, where she was dry-docked and prepared for decommissioning.

She was towed back to Mumbai on Oct. 23 for her formal decommissioning ceremony.

TagsINS Viraat, Indian Navy, Aircraft carrier, HMS Hermes, BAE Sea Harrier