IAC Vikrant to be commissioned on September 2

India

oi-PTI

Kochi, Aug 24:
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
will
commission
the
country’s
first
indigenously-built
aircraft
carrier
(IAC)
Vikrant
on
September
2.

The
Prime
Minister
will
officially
induct
the
vessel
to
the
Indian
Navy
at
a
specially
arranged
venue
inside
the
Cochin
Shipyard
Limited
(CSL)
here,
which
manufactured
the
over
Rs
20,000
crore
warship.

The
Indian
Navy
had
on
July
28
taken
delivery
of
the
carrier
from
CSL
after
it
had
successfully
completed
the
fourth
and
the
final
phase
of
the
sea
trials
last
month.

“The
event
is
currently
scheduled
to
be
held
on
September
2
at
CSL
jetty.
The
retired
staff
of
INS
Vikrant,
India’s
first
aircraft
carrier,
officials
of
defence,
shipping
ministries
and
the
state
government
among
others
are
set
to
participate,”
sources
told
PTI.

They
said
an
attendance
of
1500-2000
people
is
likely.

The
IAC
would
serve
to
bolster
India’s
position
in
the
Indian
Ocean
Region
(IOR)
and
its
quest
for
a
blue
water
Navy.

Fighter
jets
have
been
brought
to
the
aircraft
which
is
set
to
operate
MiG-29K
fighter
jets,
Kamov-31
helicopters
and
MH-60R
multi-role
helicopters.

With
the
delivery
of
‘Vikrant’,
India
has
joined
a
select
group
of
nations
having
the
niche
capability
to
indigenously
design
and
build
an
aircraft
carrier.

Designed
by
Indian
Navy’s
in-house
Directorate
of
Naval
Design
(DND)
and
built
by
the
CSL,
a
Public
Sector
Shipyard
under
the
Ministry
of
Ports,
Shipping
and
Waterways,
the
carrier
is
christened
after
her
illustrious
predecessor,
India’s
first
Aircraft
Carrier
which
played
a
vital
role
in
the
1971
Indo-Pak
war.

It
has
over
2,300
compartments,
designed
for
a
crew
of
around
1700
people,
including
specialised
cabins
to
accommodate
women
officers.

Vikrant
has
a
top
speed
of
around
28
knots
and
a
cruising
speed
of
18
knots
with
an
endurance
of
about
7,500
nautical
miles.

The
IAC
is
262
metres
long,
62
metres
wide
and
has
a
height
of
59
metres.
Its
construction
began
in
2009.

The
flight
deck
of
the
IAC
is
comparable
to
two
football
grounds
and
by
walking
through
the
corridors
of
the
massive
vessel,
one
will
cover
eight
kilometres.

The
eight
power
generators
onboard
IAC
are
enough
to
light
up
Kochi
city
and
the
warship
contains
a
dedicated
hospital
complex
with
all
facilities.