LCA Tejas (Navy) successfully landed for the first time on the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant
India's latest aircraft carrier INS Vikrant crossed a milestone with the first landing of fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck.
A naval version of India's home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and the MiG-29K landed successfully on INS Vikrant as part of sea trials.
"A Historical milestone achieved towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) by Indian Navy as naval pilots carry out landing of LCA (Navy) on board the INS Vikrant. It demonstrates India's capability to design, develop, construct and operate an indigenous aircraft carrier with an indigenous fighter aircraft," the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The LCA Tejas (Navy) takes off from the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant
The 45,000-tonne INS Vikrant built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore was commissioned in September last year. At 262 metres long and 62 metres wide, INS Vikrant is the largest warship to be built in India.
The LCA Tejas (Navy) lines up for landing on the deck of INS Vikrant
It can carry 30 aircraft, including MiG-29K fighter jets and helicopters. The warship can accommodate a crew of nearly 1,600.
The warship had been in the works for over a decade.
A MiG-29K on the flight deck of INS Vikrant
The MiG-29K, a naval version of the Russian-origin multirole jet, is the main fighter of INS Vikrant.
A MiG-29K lands on the flight deck of INS Vikrant
The LCA Tejas (Navy) flies above the deck of INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant is named after its predecessor, which played a key role during the 1971 war against Pakistan for the liberation of Bangladesh.