An aerial view of the Integrated Museum and Tourism Complex (IMTC) on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam that houses three museums – the recently opened Sea Harrier Museum, TU – 142 Aircraft Museum and INS Kursura Submarine Museum – showcasing three important chapters of Indian life does. Navy. , photo credit: KR Deepak
The Integrated Museum and Tourism Complex (IMTC) on Beach Road houses three museums – the Sea Harrier Museum, the TU – 142 Aircraft Museum and the INS Kursura Submarine Museum – showcasing three important chapters of the Indian Navy and the country’s maritime history.
Sea Harrier Museum inaugurated Lately attracting a steady stream of visitors. British Aerospace designed the jet fighter to be highly maneuverable, versatile and was one of the major weapons of the Indian Navy.
A view of the British-made reconnaissance and attack aircraft at the recently opened Sea Harrier Museum on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam. , photo credit: KR Deepak
At the entrance to the museum, the glass façade states that the aircraft were in operation from 1983 to 2016. Inside, there are sections that shed light on the crew. They also showcase facilities such as simulator flying, weapons, radar and electronic warfare, and engineering subsystems.
Visitors to the space first see a portrait of a wide-eyed western marsh harrier, a bird of prey, a symbol of royal power and war with which the sea harrier was associated.
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Walk through this section to get an overview of the history of world aviation spanning more than two thousand years, from kite and tower jumping to supersonic and hypersonic flight by powered jet, and the development of world naval aviation.
The next section throws light upon the induction of sea deterrents in the Indian Navy. The fighter jet was capable of air-to-air refueling to operate over extended ranges.
A detailed chart describes the journey of the Sea Harrier which operated from both INS Vikrant and INS Viraat where the use of ski jumps allowed the aircraft to take off from a short flight deck with a much heavier load than would otherwise be possible.
Each section is highlighted with pictures and clear text, LED displays of key moments, fighter jet parts and audio-visuals. A popular section includes a simulator and its associated components including hydraulic master cylinders, base plates, cockpits, video screens, and instructor’s panels.
The museum is accessible with a ramp that leads from the roof of the building to the massive airframe of a Sea Harrier displayed in suspended take-off mode. Since its opening, it has seen an average of 800 visitors every day in a week. “Last Sunday, we received over 1,500 visitors,” says KV Rao, manager of the Sea Harrier Museum.
A view of the British-made reconnaissance and attack aircraft at the recently opened Sea Harrier Museum on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam. , photo credit: KR Deepak
While Sea Harrier is the third museum consisting of decommissioned aircraft and submarines of the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura Submarine Museum was the first museum set up by the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority in August 2002 at a cost of ₹5 crore. With the help of Indian Navy.
It is a first generation Foxtrot submarine that was commissioned in Riga, Russia. This ferocious amphibian played an important role in the 1971 war. The museum, which is the first submarine museum in South-East Asia, has an average annual footfall of around 3.5 to 4 lakhs and an average of 1,050 visitors per day to the museum.
Tourists stand in a long queue at Kursura Submarine Museum in Visakhapatnam. , photo credit: KR Deepak
Across the road is the Tu-142 aircraft museum, which was set up in 2017 at a cost of around ₹15 crore. This Soviet/Russian maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft is a submarine detector and killer. This aircraft was assigned long-range communications duties with Soviet ballistic missile capable submarines.
“The initial plan for IMTC also included a submarine heritage museum on the evolution of submarines, how it served the Indian Navy and an in-depth understanding on its role. But currently the project is stalled due to the proposed Six Lane Beach Road Corridor project. Once we get some clarity on this, we can move forward,” says Balram Raju Manthena, superintending engineer, VMRDA.
The Sea Harrier is a part of the IMTC, wherein visitors can take an integrated ticket (at a reduced price) to visit all three museums. The cost of an integrated ticket for the three museums is ₹140 (for adult). There is also a ticket available for each museum.,