According to the Navy, INS Vikrant has displaced about 45,000 tons, making it the largest warship in the Indian Navy's inventory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday commissioned India's first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, calling it a "historic event" and "an extraordinary symbol of an independent India". Built at a cost of Rs 20,000, the Prime Minister commissioned the airline at an event held at his Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, Kerala.
THE STORY OF INS VIKRANT
India's first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, pennant number R11, was built on 14 October 1943 as HMS (Her Majesty's Ship) Hercules for the Royal Navy. She entered the Royal Navy in 1945.
After the end of World War II, shipbuilding ceased. She was then sold to India in 1957 when she was incomplete.
INS Vikrant underwent four years of repairs at Harland and Wolf Yard, Belfast, Ireland. She arrived in India on 3 November 1961 and formally joined the Indian Navy Fleet at the port of Bombay. Then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru attended her commissioning event to great fanfare.
INS Vikrant played a key role in India's decisive victory in the war against Pakistan in 1971, blockading the entirety of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to quell ground movements and control eastern Pakistan. It helped to supply the army.
She was decommissioned in 1997 and docked at Mumbai port as a museum. In 2013, the central government decided to scrap her ship because it became too expensive to maintain. Despite objections from certain groups, her ship was sold to Darukana Shipbreakers for Rs 60 crore. The ship was finally scrapped in 2014.
HOW INS VIKRANT IS DIFFERENT FROM ITS PREDECESSOR
The new INS Vikrant is 262 meters long compared to its predecessor which was 192 meters long. The new vessel displaces about 43,000 tons when fully loaded, while her previous Vikrant she had a full load displacement of 20,000 tons.
The newly commissioned INS Vikrant has a maximum speed of 28 knots and a range of 7500 nautical miles.
The old INS Vikrant could go at speeds of 46 km/h, while the new ships can go at 56 km/h.
In addition, the new INS Vikrant is equipped with state-of-the-art capabilities, capable of operating a 30-aircraft wing, including MiG-29K fighters, together with domestically manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH).
It has approximately 2,200 compartments and is designed to accommodate a crew of approximately 1,600, including special cabins for female officers and deckhands.
When will INS Vikrant Become combat ready ?
It could take another five to six months before INS Vikrant is combat-ready, fighters air sorties, and warships armed with Barack surface-to-air missiles. Flight tests are scheduled to begin in November and end in May 2023.
With the commissioning of INS Vikrant, the Indian Navy will operate two aircraft carriers simultaneously. The second is her INS Vikramaditya. This solves the naval problem of continuing naval activity even when other ships are out for maintenance.
.jpg)
