Kochi: He is a majestic tiger, although this time without teeth. Over the next year as she grows increasingly fangs, she will become dangerous, ready to roam the high seas and snore.
The largest 45,000 tonne indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC), fully seaworthy to be commissioned in India to be built at around Rs 20,000 crore at Cochin Shipyard INS Vikrant By PM Narendra Modi on 2 september
But the IAC will be fully battle-ready once it completes critical flight tests from its massive deck of MiG-29K supersonic fighter jets, and is equipped with all of its high-tech weapons such as the Israeli-origin 80-km Range Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system, approximately until mid-2023.
With Dhruv’s tests, sea king And with Chetak helicopters already finished, IAC is now ready for the MiG-29K trials starting in October-November. Tests are also in the works for new submarine-hunting MH-60 “Romeo” helicopters received from the US, as well as Russian-origin Kamov-31 helicopters.
“On the first flight during IAC’s extensive sea trials, we had 22 helicopter touchdowns on deck. Gradually, we will move forward her fighter integration and fleet integration … will happen sooner than later,” IAC Captain Commodore Vidyadhar Harke told TOI on Wednesday.
The inherent strength of a Carrier Battle Group (CBG) is its ability to remotely detect and neutralize emerging threats. A CBG can cover over 400 nautical miles in a day to offer raw combat power and ‘visible deterrence’ over a large area.
It’s no surprise that China is now building its fourth aircraft carrier after ‘launching’ its third 80,000-ton-plus Fujian in June. However, China is relatively new to the highly complex art of operating fighter jets from carriers. In contrast, India has operated ‘flat-tops’ since the induction of the first carrier INS Vikrant from the UK in 1961.
With the IAC taking its name, the 1,700-member team is in a hurry to leave. Commodore Harke said, “The IAC will significantly enhance our naval capability to maintain maritime control and protect important sea lines of communication, keeping in mind India’s upward trajectory in economic growth.”
The 262-metre-tall and 15-storey-high IAC, with an angled ski-jump with a flight deck comparable to that of two football fields, is an engineering and ship-building marvel. India has now joined a select group of countries such as the US, Russia, China, France and the UK that can indigenously design, build and integrate an aircraft carrier.
“This is a significant achievement. With an overall indigenous content of 76 per cent, the IAC is five to seven times the size of any warship built in India,” said Madhu S Nair, CMD, Cochin Shipyard.
The general perception is that the IAC is far superior to India’s current aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, which was acquired from Russia in November 2013 for $2.33 billion, with $2 billion being spent on 45 MiG-29Ks, with propulsion From flight to flight had many meanings. Operation.
For example, the IAC has two ‘ship-side’ aircraft lifts to lift fighters and helicopters to the flight deck as compared to the ‘internal lifts’ of INS Vikramaditya. “The ship’s side lifts, each of which have a 30-ton capacity, do not impede flight operations,” Flight Deck Officer Lieutenant-Commander said. Divyansh Singh Told.
Once a fighter is on the flight deck, he can take off in a matter of seconds. “The IAC has the capability to carry around 30 fighter jets and helicopters in various configurations depending on the mission,” the lieutenant-commander said. Ajay SinghA MiG-29K pilot.
“It is easy to land on a normal airfield. It is a floating airfield with limited space, and it moves up and down as the ship rolls and pitches. I am eagerly waiting for the day when I will land and take-off from this flight deck.”
That day is not far away. The IAC, as INS Vikrant, will represent sovereign Indian territory cruising on the high seas, with the capability to turn its fighter jets and other weapons into a formidable offensive platform by unleashing it against enemies in an instant.
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