INS Viraat, the second aircraft carrier in the Indian naval fleet, will be decommissioned on 6 March

World's oldest aircraft carrier INS Viraat to be decommissioned

Earlier known as HMS Hermes, the INS Viraat was in the Royal Navy from 1959. In the late 80s, 

INS Viraat docked at the Naval Dockyard ahead of its decommissioning after 30 years of service

Indian Navy purchased it at the cost of $65 million and was re-commissioned on 12 May, 1987

A view of the aircraft carrier INS Viraat

INS Viraat is the second centaur class aircraft carrier in service which has spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and before that 27 years in the Royal Navy of UK

Naval officers on the deck of the aircraft carrier INS Viraat

It is the longest serving ship in the history