INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, launched
Updated: August 12, 2013 15:40 IST
India has launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, joining an elite club of nations with the capability of designing and building a warship of this size and capability.
India has launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, joining an elite club of nations with the capability of designing and building a warship of this size and capability.
The 40,000-tonne INS Vikrant, meaning "courageous" or "bold" in Hindi, was launched by Defence Minister AK Antony's wife Elizabeth at the Kochi shipyard in Kerala, almost four-and-a-half years after its keel was laid by the minister.
"It is a red-letter day for the entire nation and a proud moment for the country," Mr Antony said as he stood in front of the giant grey hull of the ship at the launch ceremony. He said this was an "important" first step towards a long journey in the area of warship building for the country.
The ship, which will be fitted with weaponry and machinery and then tested over the next four years, has a flight deck more than twice the size of a football field.
Its power unit can light up the entire city of Kochi, where it's being built. The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), MiG-29K combat jets and a range of helicopters will be deployed on the carrier.
The INS Vikrant, which means "courageous" or "bold" in Hindi, is a 40,000-tonne vessel which will carry Russian-built MiG-29 fighter jets and other light aircraft.
India already has one aircraft carrier in operation - a 60-year-old British vessel acquired by India in 1987 and renamed INS Viraat - but it will be phased out in the coming years.
