Indigenous Aircraft Carrier of India

Indigenous Aircraft Carrier

Why in discussion?

Recently the 'Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-1' (IAC), which will be called INS Vikrant after entering the Indian Navy, has started another phase of sea trials.

It is the largest and most complex warship to be built in India. 

key points About the aircraft carrier:

1. An aircraft carrier is a large ship that carries military aircraft from one place to another and has an 'air base' for ships.
2. These 'air bases' are equipped with a full-length flight deck, which enables aircraft to carry, deploy and recover weapons.
3. They act as the command of the naval fleet in times of war and peace.
4. A carrier battle group consists of the aircraft carrier and its escorts, who together form a group.
5. During World War II the Imperial Japanese Navy first assembled a large number of carriers into a task force known as Kido Butai.
6. This task force was used during the Pearl Harbor Attack.

Aircraft Carriers in India:

INS Vikrant (Retired): Beginning with INS Vikrant, which served India from the year 1961 to 1997.

India acquired the Vikrant from the United Kingdom in the year 1961, and this carrier played an important role in the 1971 war with Pakistan that led to the birth of Bangladesh.

In the year 2014, INS Vikrant broke down in Mumbai.

INS Viraat (Retired): INS Vikrant was followed by the Centaur-class carrier HMS (Her Majesty's Ship) Hermes, which was renamed as INS Viraat in India and served in the Indian Navy from 1987 to 2016.

INS Vikramaditya:

It is the largest aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy and a warship converted from the decommissioned Admiral Gorshkov/Baku of the Russian Navy.

INS Vikramaditya is a modified Kyiv-class aircraft carrier that was commissioned in November 2013.The ship is equipped with state of the art launch and recovery systems along with aids to enable smooth and efficient operation of ship borne aircraft. Major systems include the LUNA Landing system for MiGs, DAPS Landing system for Sea Harriers and Flight deck lighting systems

INS Vikrant:

The first IAC will be rechristened as INS Vikrant to honor the legacy of INS Vikrant.

It is built at Cochin Shipyard Limited.

It is currently undergoing sea trials and its operations are likely to start in the year 2023.

Its construction has made India one of the few countries with the capability to build a state-of-the-art aircraft carrier.

Modalities of Operations: According to the Indian Navy, the warship will operate MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, MH-60R multi-role helicopters and indigenously built Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH).

Importance of aircraft carrier:

At present, most of the world powers are operating or building technologically advanced aircraft carriers to protect their maritime rights and interests.

Thirteen navies around the world now operate aircraft carriers. Following are the names of some:

• Nimitz Class, US
• Gerald R Ford Class, US
• Queen Elizabeth Class, UK
• Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia
• Liaoning, China
• INS Vikramaditya, India
• Charles de Gaulle, France
• Cavour, Italy
• Juan Carlos, Spain
• USS America, US

For India, the aircraft carrier provides a deterrent naval capability which is not only essential but also a strategic requirement.

This is because India's area of ​​responsibility extends from the eastern coast of Africa to the western Pacific Ocean.

future endeavors:

Since 2015, the Navy has been seeking approval to build a third aircraft carrier for the country, which, if approved, will become India's second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-2).

Named INS Vishal, the proposed carrier is to be scaled up into a massive 65,000-tonne vessel, which is much larger than IAC-1 and INS Vikramaditya.