Military Museums That A Defence Aspirant Must Visit (Part 1)

Hello defence lovers! Museums are sometimes very exciting places to visit especially when they are military museums and you are a Defence Aspirant. The military history of India is millennia old. The museums remind us of the bloody battles, the courage and sacrifices of our soldiers. The museums are a wonderful source of inspiration for the young generation. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the most interesting military museums that a defence Aspirant must visit at least once in his/her lifetime.

Airforce Museum, New Delhi

The Indian Air Force Museum is located at the Palam Air Force Station, in the National Capital of India. It usually goes unnoticed by visitors to Delhi. The Air force museum was the only one of its kind in India until the Naval Aviation Museum in Goa was unveiled in 1998.

The museum is divided into two sections – the annexe and the main hangar. The annexe displays the glorious history of the airforce in a pictorial way. The annexe also contains the pictures and photos of the Bravehearts of the Indian airforce who fought in 1965, 1971 and in Word War II.

The hangar showcases a wide variety of vintage aircraft, helicopter, jet engines, aircraft guns and recovered enemy aircraft and army tanks. Various majestic aircrafts such the Sukhoi Su7, MIG 21 and 23, and the MI-4 helicopter are displayed. The Hanger also houses the Second world war era Hurricane, Tempest, and Lysander.

Naval Aviation Museum, Goa

The Naval Aviation Museum situated in Goa captures the evolution of Indian Naval Air Arm. The museum is divided into two main parts, an outdoor exhibit and a two-storey indoor gallery. The Museum was opened for public access in october 1988. The Naval Aviation Museum is the only of its kind in the entire continent of Asia.

The museum’s interior is designed to look like the INS Viraat aircraft carrier (which was recently scrapped despite all the efforts) and includes galleries showcasing naval equipment, photographs of major battles, a simulation room and a plaque remembering those who sacrificed their lives for the country. Located near Bogmala, the museum overlooks scenic Bogmala beach and includes several massive aircraft, including the indigenous HAL HT-2, Westland Sea King and HAL Chetak, Sea Harriers and many other exciting aircraft.

INS Kursura Submarine Museum, Vizag

INS Kurusura Submarine is a Soviet built-I-641 (foxtrot class or the Kalveri class) class Submarine that was inducted into the Indian Navy on 18, December 1969. It was decommissioned on 28, February 2001 after 31 years of glorious service to the nation. INS Kursura played a key role in patrol missions during the 1971 war. After decommissioning, the submarine was preserved as a museum for public access on Ramakrishna Mission Beach in Visakhapatnam, Andrapradesh.

The Museum offers a chance to get inside a real submarine. It offers a quick walkthrough of the submarine, the compartments within and the lifestyle of submariners inside this machine.

The idea of using a submarine as a museum is the first of its kind in Asia. This museum was constructed in 2002 with a cost of 6 crore rupees. INS Kursura is a special ship because despite being a decommissioned submarine, it still receives the navy’s “Dressing Ship” honour, which is awarded only to active ships.

Cavalry Tank Museum, Maharashtra

In Ahmednagar, Maharashtra lies the first Indian museum dedicated to cavalry tanks. It’s also the first of its kind in entire Asia. It has about 50 vintage exhibits on displays. The oldest exhibit in the Museum is a Ghost Rolls Royce armoured car. There iconic some tanks and armoured vehicles which were used during World War 1 in the battlefields of Cambrian Somme and Flanders. The museum also houses trophy tanks from the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 like American made M47 Patton, Chafee and Walker BullDog. Each tank has a small board where its brief history is given.

So these were some of the most exciting Military museums of the Indian armed forces. Since there are many fascinating military museums in India, it is quite difficult to cover all of them in a single post. Stay tuned for the upcoming continuations of this article. Tell us in the comments which Museums you have visited and which ones you would like to visit.