INS Vikrant- The first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier of India

INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant is now a part of the Indian Navy !!!

Guys, On 2 September 2022,  the first aircraft carrier to be built in India was inducted into the Indian Navy. 

This article holds all the important information about India’s first indigeneous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant is an aircraft carrier constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Indian Navy. It is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India. It is named ‘Vikrant’ as a tribute to India’s first aircraft carrier, Vikrant (R11). The motto of the ship is “Jayema Sam Yudhi Sprdhah”, that means “I defeat those who fight against me“. 

Capabilities of INS Vikrant

Length 262 m 
Beam 62 m 
Height 59 m 
Draught 8.4 m
Depth 25.6 m
Decks 14
Propulsion Two shafts
Speed 56 km/h
Range 15,000 km
Crew 196 officers, 1,449 sailors (including air crew)
Sensors and processing systems Elta EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA multifunction radar
Selex RAN-40L 3D L-Band Air Surveillance Radar
Electronic warfare & decoysDRDO Shakti EW suite
Armament 32 cell VLS Barak
8 SAM Range : 0.5 km to 100 km
4 × Otobreda 76 mm dual purpose cannons
4 × AK-630 CIWS
Aircraft carried 30 aircraft26 x Mikoyan MiG-29K multi-role fighters2 x Kamov Ka-31 AEW&C1 x Sikorsky MH-60R ASW1 x HAL Dhruv NUH

History

In 1999, Defence Minister George Fernandes authorised the development and construction of an aircraft carrier, ‘INS Vikrant‘, under the Project 71 Air Defence Ship (ADS). By that time, given the ageing Sea Harrier fleet, the letter of intent called for a carrier that would carry more modern jet fighters. In 2001, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) released a graphic illustration showing a 32,000-ton STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) design with a pronounced ski jump.

The aircraft carrier project finally received formal government approval in January 2003. By then, design updates called for a 37,500-ton carrier to operate the Mikoyan MiG-29K. India opted for a three-carrier fleet consisting of one carrier battle group stationed on each seaboard, and a third carrier held in reserve, in order to continuously protect both its flanks, to protect economic interests and mercantile traffic, and to provide humanitarian platforms in times of disasters, since a carrier can provide a self-generating supply of fresh water, medical assistance or engineering expertise to populations in need for assistance.

In August 2006, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash stated that the designation for the vessel had been changed from Air Defence Ship (ADS) to Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC). The euphemistic ADS had been adopted in planning stages to ward off concerns about a naval build-up. Final revisions to the design increased the displacement of the carrier from 37,500 tons to over 40,000 tons. The length of the ship also increased from 252 metres to 262 metres 

Commission

Pm Narendra Modi Commissioning INS Vikrant

Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned INS Vikrant on September 2, 2022 in a grand ceremony at Cochin Shipyard. Earlier, INS Vikrant was delivered to the Indian Navy on 28 July 2022. Flight trials of its aircraft complement are expected to be completed by mid-2023, after which the ship will be fully operational. The Navy wants to lease a 260 m berth at Kattupalli shipyard for 8 years between 2022 and 2030 for interim berthing of the ship, by which time the naval base at Rambilli is expected to be available.