INS Vikrant, India's first home-built aircraft carrier, will be formally commissioned today after completing almost a year of sea trials. The 45,000-tonne warship has been built at a cost of ₹ 20,000 crores.
The aircraft carrier is set to be commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Cochin Shipyard. During the event, PM Modi also unveiled the new Naval Ensign. The Navy had earlier said the new insignia will be befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage.
The largest ship ever made in India, INS Vikrant's main arsenal will be the Russian-origin MiG-29K, a naval version of the MiG-29 jet that has been serving with the Indian Air Force for decades.
The MiG-29K is an all-weather fighter with a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound or about 2,000 kmph.
It can have 30 aircraft on board, including MiG-29K fighter jets and helicopters. The warship can accommodate a crew of nearly 1,600.
The warship, which took over a decade to be built, is equipped with a 16-bed hospital, 250 tankers of fuel, and 2,400 compartments.
It can pull up to eight times the force of gravity, and climb to an altitude of over 65,000 feet.
It can engage targets in the air, at sea or on land. With its air-to-air refueling capability, the MiG-29K can fly a long range to carry out critical missions.
The MiG-29K squadron has been christened "INAS 303" and is popularly referred to as the "Black Panthers". It is based in INS Hansa, Goa.
The Indian Navy on its official website says, "The MiG-29K...carries enough punch to undertake air dominance and power projection missions simultaneously, bestowing the Commander at sea, great flexibility."
The warship was in the works for over a decade. Multiple phases of sea trials of INS Vikrant have been completed since August 21 last year. Aviation trials will be held after the navy has its command.
At present, India has only one aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, which is built on a Russian platform. Defence forces have been seeking three carriers in all - one in spare besides one each for the two main naval fronts, in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.