ashok321
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India's first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant is well on schedule and should be delivered on time to the Indian Navy.
The 40,000 tonne carrier is expected to be commissioned to the Navy in 2017. It was undocked for the first time in June last year and launched in August 2015. It is expected to undergo extensive sea trials this year. One of the most important factors about this ship is that it is being constructed almost entirely with indigenous steel, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and made by SAIL. The high quality steel for its flight deck was built by the Alloy Steel Plant (ASP) in Durgapur.
This is a major point. When the carrier was planned, Cochin Shipyard Ltd wanted to import steel from Russia but they started making demands that India could not meet. This is when it was decided to develop the steel indigenously and DRDO actually succeeded. This was a major step towards indigenization and goes to show that India can achieve a lot on its own when things are up against the wall. Even private players are now joining the fray. The steel for the ICGS Anmol was supplied by Essar. The concept of indigenisation is now opening up new avenues for industry.
The flight deck of INS Vikrant can carry 19 aircraft while the hangers inside will have the capacity for 17 more fighters. The aircraft carrier will have two take-off runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires, capable of operating STOBAR aircraft including the Mig-29K and indigenous LCA, as well as a range of helicopters.
