INS Vikrant, set for commissioning in August, to aid India counter China in the seas
India Today
India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, Vikrant, is set for commissioning in the month of August. INS Vikrant would help India counter China in the seas.
The Indian Navy has completed the fourth phase of Sea Trials of the indigenous aircraft carrier that will be called INS Vikrant. The final stages of trials, included on July 10, included majority of equipment and systems onboard, including some of the aviation facilities complex equipment.
"The ship’s delivery is being targeted at the end July 22, followed by commissioning of the ship on Aug 22 to commemorate ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’, the Navy said.
It is likely that the aircraft carrier will be commissioned on August 15. The mammoth war ship that will be called INS Vikrant is the Indian Navy’s first Made in India aircraft carrier.
With Vikrant, the Indian Navy will have two functional aircraft carriers-- the other being INS Vikramaditya. This takes India into select band of seven countries— USA, UK, France, Russia, Italy and China have niche capabilities of design and building of an Aircraft Carrier.
As per naval tradition, ships never die, and in keeping with this tradition, the indigenous aircraft carrier will be back in a new avatar with the same name, Vikrant— India’s first aircraft carrier acquired from the U.K. in 1961 that was decommissioned.
Vikrant is expected to live up to its name, which means victorious and gallant.
An aircraft carrier is a mini floating ‘airbase’ at sea which sets it apart from other warships in terms of operations, reach and complexity. It is central to the navy’s operations for sea control. 30 aircraft and helicopters can be operated from the ship. This will enable sea control far off from the country both in war or peacetime.
