Mumbai, Dec 2 (IANS) Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vindhyagiri, which capsized earlier this year, will be decommissioned in 2012, an official said here.
‘We have decided that INS Vindhyagiri should be decommissioned as its overhauling and refit will involve huge expenditure,’ Vice Admiral D.K. Joshi, flag officer commanding in chief of Western Naval Command, told reporters Friday.
The defence authorities were mulling bringing back the ship into active service, but decided against it saying that the material reports on the refurbishment of the warship indicated that it was unviable.
The ship was scheduled for decommissioning by the end of 2012. But after its collision with merchant vessel Nordlake Jan 30, the decommissioning date has been advanced.
Joshi said that the navy was awaiting a formal approval pending with the ministry of defence and that it was expected in the coming weeks.
‘Once the approval is in place the warship will be used as target to test missiles and torpedoes,’ he said.
Joshi also said that the navy will be analysing the security aspect of the proposed 22-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link connecting Sewri in south Mumbai to Nhava Sheva in Raigad district of Maharashtra where the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) was located.
