On 2 September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1) into the Navy as INS Vikrant. Equipped with state-of-the-art features, INS Vikrant is built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore approximately
PM Modi commissioned INS Vikrant into Indian Navy on 2 September. PTI photo
Today’s induction of India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant has added to the Indian Navy’s might and solidified its position as a ‘blue water navy’, a maritime force that can operate in national as well as the world’s deep, vast oceans.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1) into the Indian Navy as INS Vikrant by unveiling a plaque at a ceremony held at the government-owned Cochin Shipyard in Kerala.
But what are the features of INS Vikrant? Why is its induction a momentous occasion in India’s history? What is inside this home-built aircraft carrier?
Let’s examine these questions detail:
Commissioning INS Vikrant
After a decade in the making, the 45,000-tonne INS Vikrant finally found its home in the Indian Navy.
Highlighting the Central government’s commitment to making the defence sector self-reliant, Modi said Vikrant is “not just a warship, but the evidence of the hard work, talent, impact and commitment of India of the 21st Century”.
He added that with the induction of INS (Indian Naval Ship) Vikrant, India has taken another step forward towards becoming a developed nation.
“From the seashores of Kerala, every Indian is becoming a witness today to the sunrise of a new future. This ceremony on INS Vikrant is a call for the strengthening morale of India on a global horizon,” ANI quoted Modi as saying.
Modi also elaborated on the key facets of the warship, calling it a “floating airfield, a floating town”.
He said that the power generated in the vessel can light up 5,000 homes.
With INS Vikrant, India has joined an exclusive club of countries capable of designing and constructing aircraft carriers – the US, Russia, France, the UK and China.
Inside INS Vikrant
The robust INS Vikrant is 262 metres long and 62 metres wide with the capacity to hold 30 fighter planes and helicopters. Around 76 per cent of the ship’s parts were built indigenously by employing 500 Indian firms, as per BBC.
The warship is big as two football fields end to end and 18 floors tall, NDTV cited the navy as saying. The ship has nearly 2,400 compartments with specialised cabins for female officers and sailors.
Equipped with state-of-the-art features, INS Vikrant is built at an approximate cost of Rs 20,000 crore.
INS Vikrant can hold 30 fighter planes and helicopters. Twitter/@PiyushGoyal
Vikrant’s aviation hangar is as big as two Olympic-size pools, while it boasts of a well-equipped kitchen with units that can produce 3,000 rotis per hour. There are three pantries furnished with coffee-vending machines, tables and chairs. “If you combine these galleys, close to 600 personnel can have their meals at the same time,” an officer told BBC.
When fully operational, the hangar will accommodate Russian-origin aircraft- MiG-29K fighter jets and early warning control helicopter Kamov-31- US origin MH-60R multi-role helicopters, Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), as per Indian Express.
The aircraft carrier will be home to as many as 1,600 crew members once in service.
Vice-Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral SN Ghormade said that the flight trials of the warship will commence by November while it is expected to be fully operational by mid-2023, Indian Express reported.
The medical complex inside the warship includes a 16-bed hospital stocked with facilities including two operation theatres, physiotherapy clinic, Intensive Care Unit, isolation ward, radiology wing among others.
“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, and a set of three ‘arrester wires’ for their recovery onboard,” The Hindu cited the navy as saying.
The Throttle Control Room, which houses the engines, is “the heart of the ship”.
“From here, the gas turbine engines can be operated, which is how this floating city moves,” Lieutenant-Commander Sai Krishnan, a senior engineering officer, told BBC. The four engines combined generate 88MW of power- enough to supply a city, he explained.
Tale of INS Vikrant
Now, India has two aircraft carriers- INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant.
Vikrant, meaning brave, holds special significance for India.
It was named after India’s first aircraft carrier which was commissioned into the navy in 1961 after being purchased from the UK in 1957 when it was known as HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship) Hercules. The first INS Vikrant played a crucial role in displaying India’s military prowess, especially in the India-Pakistani War of 1971.
The warship was decommissioned in 1997.
With inputs from agencies
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