UPDATED: INS Viraat - Indian Navy Aircraft Carrier [Wallpaper material]

The INS Viraat is currently the sole Aircraft Carrier in operation with the Indian Navy and also the oldest Aircraft Carrier in the world, still in operation. Long due for decommissioning, it has had to undergo multiple Life-extension upgrades to prolong its service life in face of delayed induction of the INS Vikramaditya, a refurbished & modified Soviet-origin Aircraft-carrying Cruiser, originally named Baku, then renamed Admiral Gorshkov [not to be confused with the recently inducted class of Russian frigates]. Despite its age, the INS Viraat, with enhanced capabilities incorporated as part of its upgrade programs,  continues to remain the flagship of the Indian Navy & is expected to remain in service with the Indian Navy till around 2020.

Found these hi-res images of the INS Viraat, shot when it had berthed at the Mumbai & Cochin ports. With a little bit of cropping, good to go on my desktop as wallpapers.

2012.01.29 - UPDATE:

Found two more pictures of the Carrier

In the meanwhile, apart from the induction of the INS Vikramaditya, India has also embarked on a project to design & build an indigenous Aircraft Carrier, categorised as a Vikrant-class Aircraft Carrier [also called as Air Defence Ship]. Recent reports indicate, that it is now capable of floating on its own, though work on it is far from over, & which too is running much behind schedule. It is now expected to join the Indian naval fleet at around the middle of the next decade [2015-2016]. India is also to embark on building a much larger-class of Aircraft Carrier, currently referred to as the Indian Aircraft Carrier 2 [IAC-2], once construction of the first is complete.

An ideal arrangement would be for the Indian Navy to be in possession of 3 Aircraft Carriers, two out at sea at any given time under the operational commands of the Eastern & Western Naval Command each. The third Aircraft Carrier would be undergoing the mandatory periodic, scheduled maintenance, servicing & upgrades as needed. A jingo would also not be averse to dreaming of a suitably-sized Carrier group assigned to the Tri-Services Andaman & Nicobar Command  to engage with & co-operate with the Navies East of the Malacca Straits & beyond, helping secure the sea lanes & sanitizing the waters of any disruptive elements.

Godspeed

Source: pic 01, pic 02, pic 03, pic 04, pic 05, pic 06, pic 09, pic 10, pic 11