IAC-1 INS Vikrant Sea Trial: Indian Navy’s indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant has successfully completed its five day long maiden sea trial successfully and came back to the yard in Kochi in Southern Indian state of Kerala, the defence ministry said.
The ship had sailed from the Cochin Shipyard Limited’s yard in Kochi on Wednesday (August 4) and returned to the CSL’s yard on Sunday (August 8).
The MoD said the trials progressed as planned and system parameters proved satisfactory.
According to officials, during the maiden sea trial, INS Vikrant’s performance, including hull, main propulsion, power generation and distribution and auxiliary equipment were tested.
“Trials, which were reviewed by Indian Navy’s Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral AK Chawla on the last day, have progressed as planned and system parameters have been proved satisfactory,” the defence ministry said.
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The successful completion of maiden trials sorties, despite the challenges posed the outbreak of COVID-19 global pandemic is testimony to the dedicated efforts of large number of stakeholders for over a decade, said the officials.
“This is a major milestone activity and historical event. The carrier would undergo a series of Sea Trials to prove all equipment and systems prior to its delivery in 2022,” the MoD said.
The carrier would continue to undergo series of sea trials to prove all equipment and systems prior handing over the vessel to the Indian Navy.
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Indian Navy is likely to commission the first home built aircraft carrier sometime next year.
IAC-1 INS Vikrant started sea trial on August 4.
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India’s fourth aircraft carrier
Two of the three earlier aircraft carriers operated by the Navy, INS Vikrant and INS Virat, were retired ships of the UK Navy and the present aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya was a mothballed aircraft-carrying cruiser of erstwhile Soviet Union which was refurbished and sold to India.
While the first two aircraft carriers of British origin have retired from the service, INS Vikramaditya is still serving as India’s sole aircraft carrier.
IAC-1 Vikrant, which has been designed by Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND), is being built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a state owned shipyard under the Ministry of Shipping.
The indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant has more than 76% indigenous content as the country to working the achive the goal of a self-reliant India in defence (Atma Nirbhar Bharat).
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INS Vikrant returned to CSL’s yard on Sunday.
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INS Vikrant (IAC-1)
The first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant is 262 meter long, 62 meter at the widest part and has a maximum height of 59 meter including the superstructure.
There are 14 decks in all, including five in the superstructure. The ship has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,700 people, having gender-sensitive accommodation spaces for women officers.
The ship with high degree of automation for machinery operation, ship navigation and survivability, has been designed to accommodate an assortment of fixed wing and rotary aircraft, said the defence ministry.
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INS Vikrant to join service next year
Delivery of Vikrant is being targeted to coincide with celebrations to commemorate 75th anniversary of India’s independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
“With the delivery of IAC, India would join a select group of nations with the capability to indigenously design and build an Aircraft Carrier and provides thrust to Government’s Make in India initiative,” said the defence ministry.
Delivery of IAC would also strengthen India’s position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a blue water navy, the MoD added.
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