INS Vikrant: 'A floating city'

New Delhi, Sep 02: September 2 will go down in history as a huge day as India commissioned the indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant, the most complex warship ever built in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the aircraft carrier at a ceremony held at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, Kerala.

Notably, INS Vikrant is designed by the Indian Navy's in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways.

INS Vikrant is the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of India and it has been built with the state-of-the-art automation features.

The commissioning of INS Vikrant would boost the Indian Navy in many ways:

• The Aircraft Carrier is the largest warship made in India. It is 262 meters long and 62 meters wide and has a full displacement of close to 45,000 tonnes. It is said that INS Vikrant is more advanced than its predecessor.
• The aircraft has been designed while keeping in view all the challenges. It has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,700 people. Also, specialised cabins have been designed for women officers.
• When it comes to speed, INS Vikrant has a top speed of around 28 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of about 7,500 nautical miles.
• INS Vikrant carries a mix of about 30 aircraft. The aircraft includes MIG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multi-role helicopters, Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy).
• While commissioning the aircraft carrier, PM Modi said it was a floating city. The aircraft will help Indian Navy in tackling the challenges in the Indian Ocean.