Mumbai got its first Sea Harrier Monument at a prominent junction of Bandra Bandstand in Bandra west, facing the Arabian Sea, on Thursday.
The striking monument was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, along with Rear Admiral V. Srinivas, Flag Officer Commanding, Maharashtra area.
The aircraft on display – built by British Aerospace – once flew from the deck of the former aircraft carrier INS Viraat which was decommissioned and later broken down as scrap in September this year.
The aircraft was a Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing/Vertical Takeoff and Landing jet fighter, reconnaissance and attacker.
It was part of the Indian Navy Air Squadron 300 popularly known as ‘White Tigers’ whose legacy is being continued by the latest MiG-29K fighters on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
The Indian Navy became only the second country to fly the Sea Harriers when it was inducted in 1983 and served in various operations.
The monument now stands tall and proud, in a take-off position pointing to the skies, next to the Arabian Sea, serving as a reminder of its heydays when it served the nation with distinction by safeguarding its maritime frontiers from the air.
–IANS
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