No threat to INS Viraat: Chidambaram

India dismissed reports of an aerial terror threat to INS Viraat, its solitary aircraft carrier currently docked in Kochi for a midlife refit.

India dismissed reports of an aerial terror threat to INS Viraat, its solitary aircraft carrier currently docked in Kochi for a midlife refit.

“As we speak today, there is no such threat to INS Viraat,” P Chidambaram said at his maiden press conference as Home Minister while replying to queries on a reported intelligence input from the United States.

Chidambaram said such inputs were received from time to time, but it was the quality and assessment of such inputs, which was important.

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“In our assessment, there is no real threat to INS Viraat. If there is a threat, certainly navy and everybody will be alerted in this regard,” he said.

Meanwhile, Defence Ministry officials here said the navy usually remained alert when INS Viraat was docked, as warships were most vulnerable to attacks while at port.

“We already have security measures in place to thwart all sorts of threats, be it through land, sea or air, around INS Viraat when it is in dock. So, navy is already geared up. There is no specific threat that has been brought to our notice,” officials said.

INS Viraat, India’s largest warship and the only aircraft carrier, has already completed 22 years of service with the Indian Navy this May.

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The 28,000-tonne Centaur Class ship, which was bought from the British Navy in 1987, is currently under a refit programme to extend its service life till at least 2012, by which time India hopes to have INS Vikramaditya, bought from Russia in 2004, inducted and in service. India is at present constructing an indigenous aircraft carrier in Kochi and it is expected to enter the naval service before 2015.