LUCKNOW, June 3 -- The newly inaugurated Nausena Shaurya Sangrahalaya and Nausena Shaurya Vatika, located near the Ekana Cricket Stadium, will open its gates to the public on June 16, offering a rare opportunity to see original naval equipment that once served aboard Indian warships and aircraft.

Unlike conventional museums that rely on replicas, nearly every major exhibit at the complex is an authentic piece of military hardware decommissioned from the Indian Navy.

The centrepiece of the open-air museum is the massive TU-142M maritime reconnaissance aircraft, a long-range submarine hunter that served as one of the most formidable surveillance platforms of the Navy.

Developed in the erstwhile Soviet Union, the aircraft could fly at spe...