Admiral R Hari Kumar confirmed by saying, “Initially we will go for the repeat order with improved capabilities and in the meantime, we will go for study of larger carriers. Because the third aircraft which will come in and by the time it will be commissioned by that time the life of INS Vikramaditya may end.” He was speaking with the media on the sidelines of Aero India 2023.

The earlier plans, as per the Chief of Naval Staff were that “the IAC 2 should be bigger than IAC 1 in size. The size of INS Vikrant is 44,000 tonnes and we wanted the IAC2 to be around 65,000 tonnes.” The decision for the repeat order of IAC 1 is based on multiple factors including construction time, the cost involved and the trajectory of indigenization of the aviation assets also.

Admiral Hari Kumar said, “When we have to design a new aircraft carrier, it will take time and we have to bring new technologies because the present arresting, landing through catapult system is being changed now. For new design, the ship-building facility will have to be upgraded. So we thought if we went for the repeat order the work would start soon.”

“Operationally, new technologies and drones are coming in that can be launched from the carrier that can enhance operational capabilities.  The Indian Navy requires three aircraft carriers because the ship if it goes for maintenance, it takes time,” he added. Aircraft carriers are known to have lengthy maintenance schedules. The cycle of maintenance can lead to an absence of a carrier for years, as has been the case with the refit of India’s lone Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya which started at the beginning of 2021 and still continues. It has been delayed due to a fire onboard in July.

With one aircraft carrier still under maintenance and one yet to be inducted, the Indian Navy will be operating without one for some more time. The Navy has been maintaining the three carriers-based force structure so that it can operate two of them in maritime zones on each side of the Indian coastline — eastern and western coasts. INS Vikramaditya was originally a Russian carrier — Admiral Gorshkov — was commissioned in 2013 after total refurbishing. The 44,500-tonne INS Vikramaditya has an airfield with an overall length of about 284 meters. As reported in December, the Navy completed all the documentation work on the repeat orders and it is expected that the approvals from the government will come soon. The new aircraft carrier is also expected to be of 45,000 displacements and STOBAR technology.  

As enunciated by the Navy Chief the timeline would match India’s push for self-reliance aim even to indigenise the aviation complex and it might match up with the production of the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF). TEDBF is being designed for the Navy and officials of the HAL have been claiming it to be ready for commissioning by 2032. Even if a decision on the carrier is taken today, it will take over a year to begin the process of manufacturing, defence sources said.

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The fourth and last phase of sea trials for the Vikrant has been successfully completed on Sunday. The warship conducted integrated trials of equipment and systems onboard including some of the aviation facilities on the board its deck.

The first trial was successfully completed in August last, followed up by second and third phases of trials in October 2021 and January 2022, respectively.

The warship’s endurance testing of propulsion machinery, electrical and electronic warfare suites, deck machinery, lifesaving appliances, navigation and communication systems have been tried out at sea.

The fighter jets that will operate from the deck of the carrier — are to be tested using the Russian MiG 29K jets—but after the warship is handed over to the Navy.

The 44,000 tonne ‘indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) has been made at the state-owned Cochin shipyard at Kochi, Kerala.

The commissioning is happening in the backdrop of India-China race off to expand their Naval strength. China has two operational aircraft carriers – the Liaoning and the Shandong. Last month, it launched another one called the Fujian that would take some three years for commissioning.

A US department of Defence report: ‘Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2021’ warns “People’s Republic of China continues to build a multi-carrier force.” The plans are for six carriers by 2030.

India has one operational carrier, INS Vikramaditya, purchased from Russia and the upcoming Vikrant. The plan for the third carrier is, so far, not okayed by the government.

Besides India and China, Japan and South Korea are adding carriers to their fleets as the Asian countries race to project power at sea.

The Japanese have the JS Izumo, a 248 meter long warship which can fly fighter jets. It’s adding another one the JS Kaga.

South Korea has a plan to launch by 2030 a large-deck amphibious-warfare ship that could handle fighter aircraft from its deck.

The INS Vikrant is the largest and most complex warship ever to be designed and built in India. With this India joins a select group of nations having niche capability to indigenously design, build and integrate a state-of-the-art Aircraft Carrier.

US, UK, Russia, Italy, France, Japan and China have such capacities.

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Two Boeing-manufactured F/A-18s will conduct a series of operational demonstrations at the shore-based test facility (SBTF) in Goa, which has a ski-jump to resemble an aircraft carrier’s deck, in the third week of May.

France had similarly showcased its Rafale maritime fighter jets at the SBTF in January. The twin-engine Rafale-M and F/A-18 are in contention for India’s requirement for fighters to operate from the 40,000-tonne IAC, which is to be commissioned as INS Vikrant on August 15 after it finishes its extensive sea trials that are currently under way.

The Navy is “assessing the suitability and capability” of Rafale-M and F/A-18 to fulfil its requirements for at least 26-27 carrier-capable fighters, though the final number is still being worked out for what eventually will be a government-to-government deal.

The IAF has already inducted 35 of the 36 Rafales, contracted under the Rs 59,000 crore deal inked with France in September 2016, with a squadron each being deployed at Ambala and Hasimara.

The Navy in the past has rejected the naval version of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft, stressing that the single-engine fighter cannot optimally operate from a carrier as of now. The indigenous development of the twin-engine deck based fighter, in turn, will take at least a decade.

India currently has only one aircraft carrier, the 44,500-tonne INS Vikramaditya, inducted from Russia for $2.33 billion in November 2013. Another $2 billion was spent on procuring 45 supersonic MiG-29K fighters to operate from its deck, but their serviceability has proved a major problem over the years.

Though the IAC will be commissioned this year, it will become fully operational only after the requisite fighter and helicopter trials are completed from its deck by around mid-2023.

Aircraft carriers, which are capable of moving over 500 nautical miles in a single day, pack a formidable offensive punch with fighters and other aircraft as well as a wide array of weapons.

China, which now has the world’s largest Navy, is fast constructing two more aircraft carriers to add to its two existing ones. China eventually wants to have 10 carriers as “symbols of a great nation”. The US Navy, in turn, has 11 “super” 100,00-tonne nuclear-powered carriers, each of which carries 80-90 fighters and aircraft.

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INS Visakhapatnam, the lead ship of Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers being built at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy on 28 October. The contract for four ships of Project 15B, as the Visakhapatnam class ships are known, was signed on 28 January 2011. This project is a follow-on of the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the last decade.

Designed by Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation; and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai; the four ships are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country viz. Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.

The keel of Visakhapatnam was laid in October 2013 and the ship was launched in April 2015. The design has largely maintained the hull form, propulsion machinery, many platform equipment and major weapons & sensors as the Kolkata class to benefit from series production.

The 163 metres long warship has a full load displacement of 7400 tonnes and maximum speed of 30 knots. The overall indigenous content of the project is approx. 75%. Apart from myriad indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is also installed with major indigenous weapons which include: –

• Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore).
• BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi).
• Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
• Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
• 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar).

INS Tushil frigate launched

The 7th Indian Navy frigate of P1135.6 class was launched on 28 Oct 2021 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia During the ceremony, the ship was formally named as ‘Tushil’. Tushil is a Sanskrit word meaning Protector Shield.

Based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between India and Russia for construction of two ships of Project 1135.6 ships in Russia and two ships in India at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), the contract for construction of two ships was signed between India and Russia in 18 October.

The construction of these ships is based on Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of air, surface and sub-surface. The ships with a potent combination of state-of-art Indian and Russian weapons and sensors are equipped to operate in littoral and blue waters, both as a single unit and as consort in a naval task force. They feature “stealth technology” in terms of low radar and under water noise signatures. These ships are being equipped with major Indian supplied equipment such as surface-to-surface missiles, sonar system, surface surveillance radar, communication suite and ASW system along with Russian surface-to-air missiles and gun mounts.

INS Vela Submarine delivered

The fourth submarine of the Project 75, Yard 11878, christened Vela, was delivered to the Indian Navy on 9 November. Project – 75 includes construction of six submarines of Scorpene design. These submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with Naval Group, France.

The submarine was launched on 6 May 2019, and has completed all major harbour and sea trials including weapon and sensor trials despite COVID restrictions. Three of these submarines are already in commission with the Indian Navy. Vela would soon be commissioned into the Indian Navy and enhance the Indian Navies capability.

INS Vikrant begins second phase of sea trials

India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant set sail on 24 October for the second sea trials, ahead of its planned induction into the Indian Navy by August next year. The 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier, the largest and most complex warship to be built in India, successfully completed a five-day maiden sea voyage in August.

Following the first sea trials, the Navy had said that the performance of key systems of the warship was found to be satisfactory. The warship has been built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).

The warship has been built at a cost of around ₹23,000 crore and its construction propelled India into a select group of countries having capabilities to build state-of-the-art aircraft carriers.

The warship will operate MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, MH-60R multi-role helicopters. It has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,700 people, including specialised cabins to accommodate women officers.

Vikrant has a top speed of around 28 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of about 7,500 nautical miles, officials said. The IAC is 262 metres long, 62 metres wide and it has a height of 59 metres. Its construction began in 2009.

Eleventh P-8I aircraft received

The Indian Navy received the 11th anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from the U.S.-based aerospace company Boeing, according to a statement issued on 18 October. A contract for eight P-8I aircraft was signed in 2009. Later, in 2016, India signed a contract for four additional P-8I aircraft.

The Indian Navy had received the ninth P-8I aircraft in November last year and got the 10th P-8I aircraft in July this year. The patrol aircraft is an integral part of the Indian Navy’s fleet and has surpassed 30,000 flight hours since it was inducted in 2013.

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