KOCHI: The Empowered Apex Committee (EAC), headed by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, reviewed the progress in the construction of India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (Vikrant) at the Cochin Shipyard on Monday.
The team included Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ashok Kumar, Chief of Materiel Vice Admiral G S Pabby, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition from Integrated Headquarters (IHQ) MoD (Navy) Vice Admiral SR Sarma and senior officers from Warship Overseeing Team and Carrier Acceptance and Trials Team.
The team critically examined the current status of the project as the IAC is in a very advanced stage of construction and is scheduled to commence basin trials soon, followed by the sea trials in mid-2020.
IAC construction is in an advanced state with the starting of all four gas turbines and main engines.
The power generation systems, comprising eight diesel alternators, are ready and trials of the vessel’s major systems and auxiliary equipment are in progress.
The IAC had successfully completed the pre-contractors sea trials dry dock work package in December 2019. Basin trials for testing the propulsion, transmission and shafting systems are scheduled to be held in the early half of the year.
The aircraft carrier would be ready for sea trials once the basin trials are successfully completed.