Indian Navy Will Get Its First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, INS Vikrant, In May

The Indian Navy will receive India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC), INS Vikrant, from the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in May. On Thursday, CSL Director (Technical) Bejoy Bhasker said that the aircraft carrier would be commissioned on August 14. The INS Vikrant will be out for the last sea testing in the coming weeks, according to Bhasker.

“The last sea testing was supposed to take place this month, but it was pushed back. The IAC will be handed over to the Indian Navy next month, and the ship will be renamed INS Vikrant. This year’s Independence Day will see the commissioning of India’s first aircraft carrier “he said

The battleship was built at a cost of roughly Rs 23,000 crore, propelling India into a small group of countries with the capability to develop cutting-edge aircraft carriers.

MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, and MH-60R multi-role helicopters will be used by the battleship. It features about 2,300 compartments, with specialised quarters for female officers, and is meant for a crew of around 1700 people.

Former Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said in November 2021, while speaking at a naval dockyard in Mumbai, that the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) INS Vikrant will be commissioned by August 2022.

The Indian Navy’s ship-building programme is well positioned to deliver the required ‘Economic Stimulus,’ with 44 ships and submarines being built in-house.