INS Vikrant- India’s First Indigenous Aircraft carrier

The dream to have India’s own aircraft carrier was laid in year 1999 by then Defence Minister George Fernandes. The Project was named as Air Defence Ship (ADS). The project got green light from the government in January 2003 and the carrier given name INS Vikrant as a tribute to India’s first Aircraft carrier, The name Vikrant means “Courageous”. The moto of the ship “Jayema Sam Yudhi Sprdhah” which mean “I defeat those who fight against me”. The aircraft carrier.

INS Vikrant has the capacity to hold 1700 crew members, it provides meal to 600 personnel at same time, the ship has 16-bed hospital, 2 operation theatre and intensive care unit. Indian Navy can operate 12 fighter jets and 6 helicopters at once on the ship. The ship provide boost to Indian defences and takes it one step ahead.

In August 2006, then Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash has stated that the designation for the vessel have been changed from Air Defence Ship (ADS) to Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), the strategy behind was to make this ship fully made in India using locally sourced equipment to build the ship. It is the first aircraft carrier that is designed by the Warship Design Bureau of the Indian Navy and it the first warship built by Cochin Shipyard.

The Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) provided the facilities to manufacture DMR 249 grade steel in India. Around 26000 tonnes of steel were used to build the hull, flight deck and Floor compartment were made at the Bokaro Steel Plant, Bhilai Steel Plant and Rourkela Steel Plant. The main switch boards, steering gear all are being manufactured by Larsen & Toubro in Mumbai, Kirloskar Group was hired to manufacture high-capacity air condition and refrigeration system in the Pune plant, Best and Crompton supplied the pumps for the ship, BHEL supplied the Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), this was installed by an Italian Company Avio. The consulting for ship’s propulsion system was provided by Fincantieri. Aviation complex was designed by Nevskoye Design Bureau. The ship is powered by four General Electric gas turbine that generates over 80 MW of power, Tata Power strategic Engineering Division with collaboration of MARS, Russia developed the ship’s CMS system.

The strategy behind keeping all the parts and equipment of the ship to be made and sourced within the country so that India could project itself as a self-reliant and capable of designing and producing all the defence equipment by itself. The development of INS Vikrant gives India a great opportunity to showcase it talent, hard work, potential be a great nation. Being more than 70% part made in India which are sourced by the Indian companies as well as over 100 MSMEs and cost around Rs 20,000 crores. INS Vikrant showcase the real potential of people of India.

Achieving this feat didn’t come easy as this project went through many difficulties and delays, Originally the Aircraft carrier was going to launched in 2010 but it was hold as all the equipment were not placed in the ship so the launched was delayed for 2 years. The launched was again delayed and the ship was planned to go for sea trials in 2017 and commissioned in 2018.  Due to COVID pandemic the ship commissioned was again delayed and finally on 2^nd September 2022 the INS Vikrant was commissioned.

PM Narendra Modi commissioned the INS Vikrant on 2^nd September 2022 in a grand ceremony at Cochin Shipyard. The PM said “With INS Vikrant, India has joined the list of countries which manufacture huge aircraft carriers with indigenous technology. It has filled the country with new confidence”. He also unrevealed the new ensign of the Indian Navy.  The flight trials of the aircraft are said to be completed by the mid 2023 after which it will be fully operational.

The self-reliant strategy and the development of INS Vikrant have paved the way to make India more self-sufficient country and became the world leader in technology and innovation. Indian army is planning to build more of the aircraft carries and fighter jet to make its defence more solid.

 

 

Shivam Pathak

Just an ordinary human being trying to make the world a better place