India’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant will be commissioned on September 2 and will contribute in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region, Vice Chief of Indian Navy Vice Admiral S N Ghormade said on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest on September 2, when the 45, 000-tonne warship will be commissioned as INS Vikrant.
Tribute to Sacrifices of Freedom Fighters and Soldiers
Ahead of the commissioning, the Navy on Thursday said the induction and reincarnation of Vikrant is a humble tribute to the sacrifices made by the independence freedom fighters and soldiers who fought in the 1971 war.
“The induction and reincarnation of ‘Vikrant’ is thus not only another step towards strengthening our defence preparedness but also our humble tribute to the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters for the independence of the nation and our brave soldiers during the 1971 war,” it said in a statement.
Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB), the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation and built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a public sector Shipyard under Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the indigenous aircraft carrier is named after her illustrious predecessor, India’s first aircraft carrier which played a vital role in the 1971 war.
“In line with the prevailing practices being followed by other advanced countries having experience of building aircraft carrier, the deck integration trials of fixed wing aircraft and exploitation of the aviation facility complex will be carried out post-commissioning of the ship when the operational command and control of the ship, including flight safety, is with the Navy,” said the defence force.
Vice Admiral Ghormade, in a media briefing on Thursday, said that INS Vikrant would be another formidable front-line asset in the Indian Navy’s ability to maintain credible presence in the maritime domain and protect the country’s interests.
Indian Navy Pushes for Third Carrier
Even as the formidable carrier is being commissioned, the Navy is pitching for a third aircraft carrier to counter China’s growing dominance over the Indian Ocean region.
At present, India has only one aircraft carrier — INS Vikramaditya — which is a Russian origin platform, and is currently undergoing a major refit and is not operational. INS Vikrant will be fully combat-ready by mid-2023 and while it will play a major role in ensuring peace and stability in the region, the Indian Navy has for long pushed for three carriers so at least two are functional at a given time.
The navy believes the third carrier should be launched as soon as possible as it will take at least a decade to build a 65,000-tonne one.
Trials of aircraft landing on INS Vikrant are scheduled from November. “After commissioning, when the complete crew is there, all systems are in place, only then aircraft landing trials happen. This is true for all advanced nations,” Vice Admiral Ghormade said. “We hope to complete it by the middle of next year and we will put in all efforts so that the aircraft carrier is operationally ready with the aircraft. The aircraft which are available with us are MiG-29Ks,” he added.
Vikrant has successfully completed multiple phases of sea trials from August 21 last year till date, where the ship’s performance, including response of ship’s hull to various conditions of operations, maneuvering trials, main propulsion, power generation and distribution (PGD), ship’s navigation and communication systems among others were tested.
The endurance testing of propulsion machinery, electrical and electronic suites, deck machinery, life-saving appliances, integrated trials of majority of equipment/systems and trials of other auxiliary equipment were ascertained and proved to the satisfaction of the Navy’s trials team and ship’s crew.
With the construction of ‘Vikrant’, India has joined a select group of nations such as the US, the UK, Russia, China and France, having the niche capability to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier. The INS Vikrant has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,700 people, including specialised cabins to accommodate women officers.
Vikrant has a top speed of around 28 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of about 7,500 nautical miles. The warship is 262 metres long, 62 metres wide and it has a height of 59 metres. Its construction began in 2009.
(With PTI inputs)
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