Kochi, 30th August 2022:
The nation’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1), India’s first aircraft carrier INS vikrant will be commissioned on September 2, the Indian Navy has announced. The commissioning of the warship, which will be christened ‘Vikrant’, will mark a “historical milestone of realisation of Nation’s commitment towards AatmaNirbharta” (self-reliance), the Navy said in an official release. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest on the occasion.
Vikrant is the largest warship to have ever been built in India, and the first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy. It puts India in an elite club of nations that have the capability to design and build these giant, powerful warships.
“From November we will commence landing trails which we hope to complete by middle of next year. We will put in all effort so that the aircraft carrier is operational with the aircraft and the aircraft which are available with us are the MiG-29s,” Vice Adm. Ghormade said at a press conference ahead of the commissioning. The carrier should be fully operational by end 2023, he stated.
He said that they have carried out five sets of trials since August 2021 and were extremely successful. “From the propulsion, equipment and weapons point of view, the ship is fully operational.”
The Vice Chief Adm. said that the long-term plan was to deploy the twin-engine deck-based fighter being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, but in the interim, they are looking at procuring a jet, to be selected between the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and the Dassault Aviation Rafale.
