The Vikrant class aircraft carriers (formerly, the Project 71 "Air Defence Ship" (ADS)) are the first aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy to be designed and built in India. They are being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
The Vikrant class carriers will be the largest warships built by CSL. Work on the lead vessel of the class started in 2008, and the keel was laid in February 2009. In 2007, eighty percent of work on the carrier was expected to be completed before a launch in 2010, but by October 2010 only two of the 21 blocks had been completed. The first carrier of the class was expected to enter service by 2012, but was delayed by a year reportedly due to the inability of Russia to supply the AB/A grade steel. As a result, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) created facilities to manufacture the steel in India. In August 2009, the military purchasing publication Defence Industry Daily reported that the service date had slipped to at least 2015. CSL expected the Navy to place the order for the second carrier of the class 2010, and work was planned to begin in 2010.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Project 71 (Vikrant class aircraft carrier) |
| Builders: | Cochin Shipyard Limited |
| Operators: |  Indian Navy |
| In commission: | CV-01 in 2014/2015 and CV-02 in 2017/2018 |
| Building: | 1 |
| Planned: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Vikrant Class |
| Type: | Aircraft Carrier |
| Displacement: |
|
| Length: | 262 metres (860ft) |
| Beam: | 60 metres (197ft) |
| Draught: | 8.4 metres (28ft) |
| Propulsion: | 4 General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines, driving four shafts. |
| Speed: | 28 kn (52 km/h) |
| Range: | 7,500 nmi (13,900 km) |
| Complement: | 1,400 (incl air crew) |
| Armament: | 4x Otobreda 76 mm and various point defence SAM and CIWS |
| Aircraft carried: | 29 Mikoyan MiG-29K + HAL Tejas + 10 Ka-31 'Helix' or HAL Dhruv |
Design
The first carrier will feature a ski-jump in STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) configuration. The deck is designed to enable aircraft such as the MiG-29 and smaller to operate from the carrier.
The Vikrant class is designed to deploy up to 40 aircraft, primarily the Mikoyan MiG-29K and the HAL Tejas Mark 2, including 10 Kamov Ka-31 or HAL Dhruv helicopters.
The naval version of HAL Tejas is hoped to be ready by the time INS Vikrant is commissioned.
Status
The keel for the lead vessel of the class, INS Vikrant, was laid by the defence minister A.K Antony at the Cochin Shipyard on 28 February 2009. The ship will use modular construction. A total of 874 blocks will be joined together to speed up the building process. By the time the keel was laid, 423 blocks weighing over 8,000 tons, were completed.
The vessel will be launched in 2010 when it would have completed some 20,000 tonnes, including the hull, as it cannot be launched at a higher displacement from the building bay. After about a year’s development in the refit dock, it will be launched again when all major components and everything underwater would be in place. Only outfitting would then remain. As per the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) plan, sea trials were initially planned to commence in 2013, with the ship to be commissioned in 2014.
The order for the second aircraft carrier in the series is expected to be placed by 2010. The second carrier is planned to be inducted into the Indian Navy by 2017. The second aircraft carrier is said to be of higher tonnage of 65,000 tons and will utilise steam catapults. A 65,000-tonne IAC-II is on the drawing board. ‘‘It will be much bigger and capable of operating fighters, AEW (airborne early-warning) aircraft, tankers etc,’’ Admiral Verma said.There are plans of constructing at least 3 Vikrant class carriers.
The construction of India's first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) at Cochin is expected to be completed in December 2011, after which the warship will be launched, Defence Minister AK Antony said on Tuesday, Aug 03, 2011. "75 percent of hull work has been completed and is expected to be launched in December 2011, after which further works will be undertaken prior to commissioning," Antony said. Declaring India's intention of having at least two carrier task forces with aircraft carrier warships as the pivot of such battle groups, Antony said the country should be capable of deploying them on two locations soon. Indian Navy already operates the Centaur-class INS Viraat Aircraft Carrier, which would remain in service, at least till 2018. The refit and modernisation works on board the INS Vikramaditya, formerly Russian Navy aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, are progressing in an earnest manner, the minister said. "Consequent to signing of supplementary agreements in March 2010, the Russian side has increased the manpower and material resources considerably for the (Vikramaditya) project. A majority of the equipment and systems have been installed on board the ship. The delivery of the ship is scheduled in December 2012," he added.
Ships in class
| Name | Pennant | Tonnage | Laid down | Launched | Sea trials | Commissioning | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INS Vikrant | 40,000 | 28 Feb 2009 | Dec 2011 | 2013 | 2014 | Conventional-powered STOBAR carrier | |
| INS Vishal | 65,000 | Mid 2011 | 2015 | 2017 | Conventional-powered CATOBAR carrier |
Aircraft
It has not been confirmed what aircraft IAC1 will carry. On 18 January 2010, it was reported that India and Russia were close to signing a deal for 29 Mig 29k fighters to operate from IAC1. In addition,the navy signed a deal for six naval HAL Tejas.
IAC2 could have a CATOBAR layout, because India showed interest in the new US Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System. Among the five aircraft for which the Indian Navy has sent Requests for Information (RFI) are the F-35C, the carrier-based variant of the F-35 Lightning II , the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (made by Boeing for the US Navy), Eurofighter Typhoon (EADS supported by a European consortium), Sukhoi for Sukhoi Su-33, SAAB for Sea Gripen (version of Gripen adapted for carrier operations) and France’s Dassault Aviation for the Rafale.
India’s biggest military hardware supplier, Russia, which was asked for information on the Sukhoi Su-33, has opted out of the race saying it is phasing out the plane, a navy source told The Telegraph.
The Indian Navy had originally not sent an RFI to Sweden’s SAAB but the company expressed interest and has sent a request for the naval variant of the Gripen JAS 39.
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