Work on the Majestic-class Hercules was suspended in May 1946, with the ship about 75% complete.
The carrier remained in an unfinished condition until January 1957, when she was purchased by the Indian Navy.
Fitted with an angled flight deck, Hercules was commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Vikrant in 1961.
Vikrant was not involved in the 1962 Sino-Indian War or the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War because she was docked for maintenance and refits on both occasions.
She did operate during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, with her air group performing strike and interdiction operations in East Pakistan.

A major upgrade between 1979 and 1982 saw the carrier fitted with a new propulsion system, an updated radar suite, and a 9.75° ski-jump ramp to be used by Sea Harriers.
The carrier was last deployed in 1994, and she was decommissioned in 1997.
Vikrant helped the Indian Navy to become the dominant regional power.

Following her decommissioning, Vikrant was marked for preservation as a museum ship.
Vikrant was opened to the public by the Indian Navy for short periods, but the inability to find an operating partner, lack of funds, and the deterioration of the ship led to the closure of the museum in 2012, and the sale of the vessel for ship breaking in early 2014.
Work on the Majestic-class Hercules was suspended in May 1946, with the ship about 75% complete. The carrier remained in an unfinished condition until January 1957, when she was purchased by the Indian Navy. Fitted with an angled flight deck, Hercules was commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Vikrant in 1961. Vikrant was not involved in the 1962 Sino-Indian War or the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War because she was docked for maintenance and refits on both occasions. She did operate during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, with her air group performing strike and interdiction operations in East Pakistan.
A major upgrade between 1979 and 1982 saw the carrier fitted with a new propulsion system, an updated radar suite, and a 9.75° ski-jump ramp to be used by Sea Harriers. The carrier was last deployed in 1994, and she was decommissioned in 1997. Vikrant helped the Indian Navy to become the dominant regional power.
Following her decommissioning, Vikrant was marked for preservation as a museum ship. Vikrant was opened to the public by the Indian Navy for short periods, but the inability to find an operating partner, lack of funds, and the deterioration of the ship led to the closure of the museum in 2012, and the sale of the vessel for ship breaking in early 2014.
1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier