Visakhapatnam: Sea Harrier Museum on RK Beach likely to open by March

Visakhapatnam: The much-awaited Sea Harrier fighter jet, which is currently under installation works at the Rajiv Smrithi Bhavan building located on RK Beach Road in Visakhapatnam is likely to be inaugurated by March. While the inauguration date was scheduled to be in February 2022, the delay in getting artefacts of the Sea Harrier from Goa has postponed its opening.

The Sea Harrier fighter jet was decommissioned by the Indian Navy in 2016 and was brought from Goa to Visakhapatnam by the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA). The Andhra Pradesh State Government had sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the project.

The Sea Harriers are one among the 30 British made-jet fighters that adorned the deck of INS Viraat in 1983. Sea Harriers are versatile at short takeoff and vertical landing being jet fighters. India has operated Sea Harriers from both the aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Viraat. The Indian Navy de-inducted Sea Harrier fighters in 2016, making way for MiG-29K fighter jets.

The Sea Harrier will be hung from the ceiling and surrounded by glass. The museum will have a gallery displaying its engine, simulator, and spare parts of the jet. On the ground floor, the museum will have artefacts of the Sea Harrier which will explain what type of missiles it carried and its components. "We have completed the civil works for the museum and are awaiting for artefacts to come from Goa. It is learnt that the artefacts are at Delhi and it takes a few weeks time to reach Vizag, after which we need to make arrangements for the completion of the museum", said Superintendent Engineer VMRDA V Bhavani Shankar.

The Sea Harrier Museum on RK Beach Road will be part of an Integrated Museum and Tourist Complex project by VMRDA. Apart from this, the beach road has other attractions including TU-142 Aircraft Museum, 'Victory at Sea' Memorial, and INS Kursura Submarine Museum.