India’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant will be able to play a role in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Vice Chief of Indian Navy Vice Admiral S N Ghormade said, ahead of the warship’s commissioning on September 2.
He said the aircraft landing trials on board INS Vikrant will begin in November and they will be completed by mid-2023, adding MiG-29K jets will operate from the warship for the first few years.
Vice Admiral Ghormade said the commissioning of INS Vikrant in Kochi on September 2 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not only make India enter an elite group of nations capable of manufacturing aircraft carriers above 40,000 tonnes category but will also reflect the country’s unity and diversity.
The vice chief said equipment for the aircraft carrier has been manufactured in 18 states and union territories including places such as Kolkata, Jalandhar, Kota, Pune, Delhi, Ambala, Hyderabad and Indore. “It will be an unforgettable day for India. It will reflect India’s growing prowess in defence manufacturing,” he said.
Vice Admiral Ghormade said India now has an eco-system to build the next aircraft carrier and noted that deliberations are underway for it. The Navy has been pitching for three aircraft carriers to deal with China’s growing naval prowess and its growing influence over the Indian Ocean region. At present, India has only one aircraft carrier - INS Vikramaditya - which is a Russian origin platform.
Explaining the scheduled launch of trials of aircraft landing on board INS Vikrant from November, Vice Admiral Ghormade such an exercise after commissioning of an aircraft carrier is a normal practice in all advanced nations.
Vice Admiral Ghormade said the Navy is currently undertaking a comprehensive evaluation process of two aircraft, but added the procurement would be for an interim period as the government is looking at an indigenously developed deck-based jet for the aircraft carrier.
