India will get its first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, on Friday in Kochi after Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the largest ship ever built in India's maritime history.
PM Modi will commission the carrier, housing state-of-the-art automation features and built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, at the Cochin Shipyard. During the event, PM Modi will also unveil the new Naval Ensign (Nishaan), doing away with the colonial past.
It will be a momentous day for the country, tweeted the Indian Navy Thursday morning. With the commissioning of Vikrant, India will have two operational aircraft carriers, which will bolster the maritime security of the nation.
The commissioning of Vikrant is being seen as a significant step towards India's self-reliance in the defence sector. 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.
.
READ | 2002 Gujarat riots: SC questions delay in bail for Teesta Setalvad; know the ‘evidence fabrication’ case against her
About INS Vikrant
- The 262 m long and 62 m wide Vikrant displaces approximately 43000 tonnes when fully loaded and has a maximum designed speed of 28 knots with an endurance of 7500 nautical miles.
- It has around 2,200 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,600 that include specialised cabins to accommodate women officers and sailors.
- The ship also has a full-fledged medical complex with latest equipment including physiotherapy clinic, ICU, laboratories and isolation ward.
- It would be capable of operating air wing consisting of 30 aircraft, comprising MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 and MH-60R multi-role helicopters, in addition to indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
- Using a novel aircraft operation mode known as Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR), the IAC is equipped with a ski-jump for launching aircraft. It has a set of three 'arrester wires' for their recovery onboard.
- The warship has been built using indigenous equipment and machinery supplied by India's major industrial houses as well as over 100 MSMEs.
- Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB), Indian Navy's in-house organisation and built by public sector undertaking Cochin Shipyard Limited, the carrier is christened after her illustrious predecessor, India's first aircraft carrier which played a vital role in the 1971 war with Pakistan.
