New Delhi, Aug 17 - It's an old warhorse, 50 years old to be exact. But after a life-extending refit, India's lone aircraft carrier INS Viraat is back to show it still has enough steam to give the jitters to the enemy.

INS Viraat, meaning giant in Sanskrit and which has a crew of 1,500 personnel, has been docked at Cochin Shipyard Ltd for the past year for repair and maintenance. The refit will increase the aircraft carrier's sea life with the Indian Navy till 2015.

'The refit of the aircraft carrier has been completed. Currently it is floating (in the docks),' a senior official at the shipyard told IANS requesting anonymity. 'By the beginning of next month, it is expected to go to its parent base at Mumbai in the Western Naval Command.'

And it will be received with a great bang. A golden jubilee celebration for completing 50 years of service.

The 28,000-tonne INS Viraat, the Centaur class aircraft carrier, was originally commissioned in the British Royal Navy as HMS Hermes Nov 18, 1959. The Indian Navy acquired the platform in 1987 after it had served the Royal Navy for nearly 28 years.

An extensive refit - with brand new fire control equipment, navigation radars, improved nuclear, biological and chemical protection and deck landing aids - increased the life of the vessel into the next decade.

In September 1993, the engine room of Viraat was flooded, temporarily putting the vessel out of service. By 1995, the vessel was back with a new search radar.

Apart from some major and minor refits at different times, including one in 2006, INS Viraat underwent an extensive life-extension refit in 1999-2000, with new and upgraded propulsion, sensors, sonar, radars, weapons, communication and flood-control systems.