Prez to be on board INS Viraat tomorrow

New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil will be on board the country's lone aircraft carrier INS Viraat in Mumbai on Wednesday, close on the heels of becoming the first woman to fly in an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet.

For her first "day at sea", Patil, the supreme commander of the country's armed forces, would arrive on board the Viraat around 11 am on Wednesday.

"The Supreme Commander will be on board the warship as it is anchored off-shore Mumbai. She will be flown to the aircraft carrier," an Indian Navy official said on Tuesday.

During her nearly three-hour visit to the aircraft carrier, which completed 50 years into service this year, President Patil will witness the flights by naval fighter jets Sea Harriers.

Patil's sojourn on Viraat follows her flight in the IAF frontline fighter jet Sukhoi Su-30 Nov 25.

The president will also conduct a Fleet Review next year. Every president conducts Fleet Review once during his/her tenure.

The 28,000-tonne INS Viraat, the Centaur class aircraft carrier, was originally commissioned in the British Royal Navy as HMS Hermes Nov 18, 1959. The Indian Navy acquired the platform in 1987 after it had served the British Navy for nearly 28 years.

INS Viraat is pivotal to the navy's aim to project its naval and air power beyond its borders. It provides operation ground for Sea Harrier combat jets. It can embark up to 18 combat aircraft and is suited for supporting amphibious operations and conducting anti-submarine warfare.