Realisation of a Two Aircraft Carrier Dream

[medulla]

Defence News - Realisation of a Two Aircraft Carrier Dream

It was a dream that India saw just two years after the debacle along the Indo-China border in 1962 – to have a two aircraft carrier navy.

It was a dream that India saw just two years after the debacle along the Indo-China border in 1962 – to have a two aircraft carrier navy. And it will be in 2012 that India will be able to realize this long cherished dream as Admiral Gorshkov rechristened as INS Vikramaditya joins its fleet by year end.

The aircraft carrier is floating Indian city with tricolour atop declaring to everyone that it is a sovereign India where only Indian law of land applies. As India rises in its stature, these aircraft carriers will help in projecting power beyond its border.

The importance of strong military was brought home to the political class after India’s loss at the hands of Chinese military in 1962. An Emergency Cabinet Committee in 1964 gave approval for operating two floating deck carriers that will help Indian Navy to operate its strike aircraft well beyond its coastline.

Sources say that 44,000 ton Admiral Gorshkov with a full-fledged runway and a battery of MiG-29 K aircraft and helicopters will be inducted on December 4, making Indian Navy a two aircraft carrier navy – one each for Western and Eastern seaboard. Many of the sailors experienced in operating aircraft carrier will get transferred to Vikramaditya.

The achievement will add another punch to the Indian Navy’s maritime capabilities as it is only the fifth country after the US, UK, Russia and France to operate an aircraft carrier. The skill has been honed over a period of over 25 years.

With INS Viraat undergoing a massive refurbishment in 2009 at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), it is going to be in service till 2018. And the indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) named INS Vikrant – named after Indian Navy’s former floating runway – will be joining its fleet when INS Vikrant will be on way out around 2018.

“INS Vikrant was floated out recently from CSL and was again brought into dry dock after some testing,” said an official.

The capability to operate an aircraft carrier at long distances for long durations has been a reflection of a country’s might and when navies like Germany and Australia lost their aircraft carrier operating capability they were reduced to merely coastal police role.

Also this is one capability of Indian Navy that even makes China’s PLA Navy turn green with envy as it has also been striving to attain long maritime legs by acquiring a floating deck carrier. And even if is able to acquire an aircraft carrier today it will take them nearly a decade to excel in operationalising their strategy around aircraft carrier. “Any navy worth its salt will like to operate an aircraft carrier and one aspiring to operate one will be envious of the force already having it. But it is a skill acquired over a period of time we have taken over 25 years,” said INS Viraat skipper Captain AB Singh.

 

[Raje amar]

wasent India operating 2 carriers INS Virrat and INS Vikrant. Since long.

 

[Abingdonboy]

wasent India operating 2 carriers INS Virrat and INS Vikrant. Since long.

There was a small overlap in the 90s when this occurred he's but it couldn't really be seen as a two carrier force as VIKRANT spent most of her time in refit at that time.

 

[IND151]

will INS Vikramaditya be deployed on western sea board or eastern sea board?

 

[Neuro]

will INS Vikramaditya be deployed on western sea board or eastern sea board?

It will deployed in eastern command.

 

[Shinigami]

The achievement will add another punch to the Indian Navy’s maritime capabilities as it is only the fifth country after the US, UK, Russia and France to operate an aircraft carrier. The skill has been honed over a period of over 25 years.

50 years actually

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Defence News - Realisation of a Two Aircraft Carrier Dream

It was a dream that India saw just two years after the debacle along the Indo-China border in 1962 – to have a two aircraft carrier navy.
It was a dream that India saw just two years after the debacle along the Indo-China border in 1962 – to have a two aircraft carrier navy. And it will be in 2012 that India will be able to realize this long cherished dream as Admiral Gorshkov rechristened as INS Vikramaditya joins its fleet by year end.

The aircraft carrier is floating Indian city with tricolour atop declaring to everyone that it is a sovereign India where only Indian law of land applies. As India rises in its stature, these aircraft carriers will help in projecting power beyond its border.

The importance of strong military was brought home to the political class after India’s loss at the hands of Chinese military in 1962. An Emergency Cabinet Committee in 1964 gave approval for operating two floating deck carriers that will help Indian Navy to operate its strike aircraft well beyond its coastline.

Sources say that 44,000 ton Admiral Gorshkov with a full-fledged runway and a battery of MiG-29 K aircraft and helicopters will be inducted on December 4, making Indian Navy a two aircraft carrier navy – one each for Western and Eastern seaboard. Many of the sailors experienced in operating aircraft carrier will get transferred to Vikramaditya.

The achievement will add another punch to the Indian Navy’s maritime capabilities as it is only the fifth country after the US, UK, Russia and France to operate an aircraft carrier. The skill has been honed over a period of over 25 years.

With INS Viraat undergoing a massive refurbishment in 2009 at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), it is going to be in service till 2018. And the indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) named INS Vikrant – named after Indian Navy’s former floating runway – will be joining its fleet when INS Vikrant will be on way out around 2018.

“INS Vikrant was floated out recently from CSL and was again brought into dry dock after some testing,” said an official.

The capability to operate an aircraft carrier at long distances for long durations has been a reflection of a country’s might and when navies like Germany and Australia lost their aircraft carrier operating capability they were reduced to merely coastal police role.

Also this is one capability of Indian Navy that even makes China’s PLA Navy turn green with envy as it has also been striving to attain long maritime legs by acquiring a floating deck carrier. And even if is able to acquire an aircraft carrier today it will take them nearly a decade to excel in operationalising their strategy around aircraft carrier. “Any navy worth its salt will like to operate an aircraft carrier and one aspiring to operate one will be envious of the force already having it. But it is a skill acquired over a period of time we have taken over 25 years,” said INS Viraat skipper Captain AB Singh.

The articleis nice in its intent, but it starts off with a wrong statement, i.e. the underlined part.
As early as the end of 1947, a 10 year expansion plan for the IN (then RIN) was drawn up. It incorporated 2 light fleet carriers. Towards this end a Directorate of Naval Aviation was set up in NHQ in 1948, under Capt. H.C.Ranalds who was on loan to the IN. The mentor of the plan was certain R/Adm. Louis Mountbatten and it was drafted by the Director Plans a certain Cdr. A.K. Chatterjee who had on his staff a certain L/Cdr. N.Krishnan. It also conceptualised 2 Fleets/Task Forces around those Carriers.

For various reasons, largely lack of resources; that plan never materialised. Actually the IN was then the orphan of the three services, and in actual fact post 1962, got a bare pittance in terms of resources. Just enough to keep whatever Fleet there was barely in existence and not even always operational. Any serious attention that the IN got was post 1965, that too thanks to the fact that the leaders/policy makers were confronted with the fact that integrity of SLOCs were absolutely crucial to the prosecution of any major military ops. Around 1967-68, thanks to the erstwhile Soviet Union and some farsighted Soviet Admirals including a certain Admiral Gorshkov, the growth of the IN really began.

And yes, as someone already pointed out there was a certain period of 'overlap' when in fact the IN operated two Carriers. But one was refurbished and the other was quite knackered. But there were two of them.

It will deployed in eastern command.

Are you sure??

There were reports that she would base at Karwar and her Air-Wing at Dabolim.

 

[The enlightened]

One interesting thing is this article says that IAC-1 will be joining during 2018. Looks like they have screwed up yet again.

 

[sancho]

One interesting thing is this article says that IAC-1 will be joining during 2018. Looks like they have screwed up yet again.

Depends on what they mean with joining, delivery to IN or induction into operational service. The carrier is planned to be delivered around 2015/16, adding some years for certification and operation clearance and you have the final induction around the time they estimate.

 

[Gessler]

Depends on what they mean with joining, delivery to IN or induction into operational service. The carrier is planned to be delivered around 2015/16, adding some years for certification and operation clearance and you have the final induction around the time they estimate.

Isn't the carrier joining around 2018 the IAC-2 (Vishaal-class)? IAC-1 is being built fast, according
to sources its scheduled to be commissioned by 2014-2015, why would they take a delay of 4 years?
There seems to be a misreportation in the article, I think they meant the IAC-2, not IAC-1.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

INS vikramaditya will be based in karwar.

 

[sancho]

Isn't the carrier joining around 2018 the IAC-2 (Vishaal-class)? IAC-1 is being built fast, according
to sources its scheduled to be commissioned by 2014-2015, why would they take a delay of 4 years?
There seems to be a misreportation in the article, I think they meant the IAC-2, not IAC-1.

IAC 2 will come later, it is still in design stage and we just found a co-development partner last year, not to mention that there is no decision about take off system and fighters, which makes 2020 more realistic.
IAC 1 as mentioned above, around 2016 + 2 years is very likey not to mention that N-LCA will be available from 2015 onwards as well and even LCA MK2 is aimed on induction only by 2017 into IAF. So the timeline is possible.

 

[Ajaxpaul]

our own carrier with our own fighters...wow

Way to go...navy !!

 

[The enlightened]

IAC 2 will come later, it is still in design stage and we just found a co-development partner last year, not to mention that there is no decision about take off system and fighters, which makes 2020 more realistic.
IAC 1 as mentioned above, around 2016 + 2 years is very likey not to mention that N-LCA will be available from 2015 onwards as well and even LCA MK2 is aimed on induction only by 2017 into IAF. So the timeline is possible.

What about the MiG 29K's purchased for it?

 

[Abingdonboy]

What about the MiG 29K's purchased for it?

IAC-2 will most certainly be CATOBAR configured so will not have Mig-29Ks deployed on it. But the IAC-1/Vikramditya will have a mixed air-group of Mig-29K and (later) N-LCA with the later acting more as a LIFT and a point-defence fighter than anything else