INS Vikrant is the largest and most complex warship built in India so far

After a long wait, the Indian Navy's first indigenous aircraft carrier went into the seas for the first time. The five-day-long sea trials along with helicopter operations are being considered a big breakthrough, but the crew is now gearing up for fighter jet trials to be ready for commissioning next year.

The mammoth warship, that will be called INS Vikrant, is the Indian Navy's first Made in India aircraft carrier. This takes India into a select band of seven countries -- the USA, the UK, France, Russia, Italy, and China - to have niche capabilities to design and build an aircraft carrier.

The Indian Navy's previous aircraft carriers were acquired from the UK and Russia.

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 UK in 1961 that was decommissioned.


Built at a cost of around Rs 23,000 crore, INS Vikrant is being described by the Navy as "historic" as it propelled India into a select group of countries having capabilities to build state-of-the-art aircraft carriers

Vikrant is expected to live up to its name that means victorious and gallant. In it, India's long-cherished dream has come true and Vikrant would be sailing soon.

HOW THE FLOATING AIRBASE WILL FUNCTION

An aircraft carrier is a mini floating 'airbase' at sea which sets it apart from other warships in terms of operations, reach, and complexities.

"It is central to Navy's operations for sea control. Thirty aircraft and helicopters can be operated from this ship. This will enable sea control far off from the country, both in times of war and peace," Vice Admiral AK Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command, said.

Vikrant is 262 m long, 62 m at the widest part, and has a depth of 30 m minus 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 personnel, including specialised cabins to accommodate women officers when embarked.

While the final touches to the construction work are on, the ship managed to go into the seas with 1,200 personnel on board.

Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command, Vice Admiral AK Chawla and others on board INS Vikrant

Sea trial was essential, we could handle the performance of machinery, and entire spectrum put was through paces of trial, said Commodore Vidyadhar Harke, Commanding Officer (designate) of the aircraft carrier.
The ship's top speed is around 28 knots and cruising speed 18 knots. With an endurance of 7,500 nautical miles, she can almost cover the entire coastline of India twice without any requirement of refuelling.

A LONG JOURNEY

It's been a long journey for the new avatar of Vikrant as the construction started in 2006, with the Kochi Shipyard, that has an expertise in building civilian commercial ventures, taking up the challenge.

"Around 2,000 people used to be on board (during construction), with 1,000 supporting from outside. This was over the last 2-3 years," said Suresh Babu, advisor to CMD Kochi Shipyard.

It is all set to be sailing within a year.

People in Kochi watch as Indigenous Carried Vikrant returns after successful maiden sea voyage

The ship will accommodate over 1,700 personnel when she is ready for operations.

The earlier Vikrant has had a glorious past playing a pivotal role in the 1971 war with Pakistan. Apart from the glorious exterior, this warship is a technological wonder.

The ship is like an 18-storey high-floating building. The steel used in the hull itself (about 21,000 tonnes) is adequate to fabricate three Eifel Towers.

The flight deck covers an area roughly the size of two football fields. Vikrant would have two take-off runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires and would be capable of operating STOBAR aircraft as well as a range of helicopters.

"The best aspect about Vikrant is that it is built from scratch. Its design is quite unique and has 75 per cent indigenous components," said Commodore Vishwanathan Ganapathy, Warship Production Superintendent.

At the bottom of the warship is the engine room, described as the heart of the ship. The speed at which she travels is controlled from this place at the bottom of the 14 decks.

The hangar area is around midway to the top. It can accommodate 30 aircraft and helicopters. Next to it are two lifts for the aircraft to be taken to the flight deck.

The flight deck covers an area roughly the size of two football fields. Vikrant would have two take-off runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires and would be capable of operating STOBAR aircraft as well as a range of helicopters.

It also has a crucial electric room that can generate power to light up half of Kochi city.

EYES ON CHINA: WHY NAVY WANTS 3 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

The preparations to commission Vikrant couldn't have come at a better time. With the growing presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean Region, enhancing India's maritime operational capabilities is the need of the hour.

India wants to enhance its reach to far-off countries and to give a boost to its operational capabilities.

In the words of Commodore Vidyadhar Harke, Vikrant is "a powerhouse to extend our reach".

India currently has INS Vikramaditya as the only operational aircraft carrier while INS Vikrant should be ready for operations within a year.

Once it's operational, India will have two aircraft carriers. Even if one goes for maintenance work, the other will be functional. The Indian Navy has been insisting on having a third aircraft carrier.

On the other hand, the Chinese Navy has two functional aircraft carriers with a third one expected to hit the seas soon, It will, however, take a while for it to be fully operational. A fourth one is also in the pipeline.

With the first sea trials operating helicopters, the next big step for Vikrant would be to test fighter aircraft operations. That will take India a step closer to be fully ready with its second aircraft carrier.