KARWAR: India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier -- INS Vikrant -- that arrived in Karwar was successfully berthed at the newly constructed Aircraft Carrier Pier at Kadamba Naval Base on Sunday.
The Navy’s official Twitter handle hailed it as a landmark in enhancing ship-berthing capacity at the Karwar base.
The arrival of INS Vikrant here was speculated way back in 2020, even before the aircraft carrier began its sea trials. INS Vikrant was built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) at Kochi in Kerala and has a displacement of 40,000 tonnes. It is 262 metres long with a 62-metre beam. The latest INS Vikrant, which was planned in 1997, is a tribute to India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which retired the same year.
Big boost for national security, says expert
The project, earlier known as Air Defence Ship (ADS), was planned for a 20,000-tonne displacement. However, in later stages, it was enhanced to 37,500 tonnes to allow it to carry fighter jets like MiG 29K and the designation was changed to Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC). The project was delayed due to several reasons and finally, it was entrusted to CSL considering its modern infrastructure.
The ship was designed by the Directorate of Naval Design which was its first assignment. Bengaluru-based defence expert Girish Linganna said the berthing of INS Vikrant at the new aircraft carrier terminal is a significant feat of infrastructure and will have important implications for India’s national security and economic development.
“The terminal has a two-deck configuration, with the upper deck providing space for the aircraft carrier to moor and the lower deck providing space for support facilities such as fuel and ammunition bunkers. The terminal also has a number of features that are designed to improve ship support, such as a crane that can lift up to 100 tonnes and a water jet system that can clean the hull of the aircraft carrier,” he said.