India’s indigenously built aircraft carrier returned to Kochi on Sunday having been at sea for five days for the testing of its main propulsion system, power generation and distribution and auxiliary equipment on its maiden sea trial.
The trials of the IAC’s systems, which were reviewed by Vice Admiral AK Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command on Sunday, the last day of the sea trial, “have progressed as planned and system parameters have been proved satisfactory,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.
“The successful completion of maiden trial sorties, despite challenges faced due to the covid-19 pandemic and covid-19 protocols in place, is testimony to the dedicated efforts of large number of stakeholders for over a decade. This is a major milestone activity and historical event,” the statement said.
“The carrier would undergo a series of sea trials to prove all equipment and systems prior to its delivery in 2022,” it said. The delivery date is being targeted to coincide with 75 years of India’s independence. The successful delivery of IAC to the Indian Navy will propel the country into a select club of nations that have the capability to indigenously design and build an Aircraft Carrier. It would also strengthen India’s position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the Indian Navy’s quest to be known as a Blue Water Navy – ie project power far beyond its shores.
The IAC, which will be christened Vikrant after India’s first aircraft carrier which was decommissioned in 1997, has been designed by Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design. It is being built at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a Public Sector Shipyard under Ministry of Shipping (MoS).
“The IAC is a leading example of the nation’s quest for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ and Indian Navy’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, with more than 76% indigenous content,” the Indian Navy statement said.
The IAC is 262 metres long, 62 metres at its widest and 59 metres in height including the superstructure.
It has 14 decks in all, including five in the superstructure.
The ship has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1700 people with “gender-sensitive accommodation” 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.
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