INS Vikrant: First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier:
India’s Defence Minister reviewed the ongoing work on the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), INS Vikrant (IAC-1), which is a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- INS Vikrant, is likely to be commissioned in 2022.
- At present, India has only one aircraft carrier, the Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya.
- Earlier, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved issuance of Request for Proposal (RFP) for six advanced submarines for the Indian Navy under Project-75I.
- The vessel, to be named Vikrant after the decommissioned maiden carrier of the Navy.
- It will have an air component of 30 aircraft, comprising MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 airborne early warning helicopters and the soon-to-be-inducted MH-60R multi-role helicopter, besides the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters.
- It is expected to have a top speed of 30 knots (approximately 55 kmph) and is propelled by four gas turbines.
- Its endurance is 7,500 nautical miles at 18 knots (32 kmph) speed.
- The shipborne weapons include Barak LR SAM and AK-630, while it has MFSTAR and RAN-40L 3D radars as sensors.
- The vessel has a Shakti EW (Electronic Warfare) Suite.
- It has a pair of runways and a ‘short take off but arrested recovery’ system to control aircraft operations.
