Superior aircraft carrier put on hold, Indian Navy looks at repeat order of INS Vikrant
The Indian Navy’s plan to have a bigger indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC II) has been put on hold and the option of a repeat order of the recently commissioned IAC I (INS Vikrant) is being contemplated.
Akshay Dongare
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 4, 2022 12:27 IST
By Akshay Dongare: The Indian Navy’s plan to have a bigger indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC II) has been put on hold and the option of a repeat order of the recently commissioned IAC I (INS Vikrant) is being contemplated, Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said.
The commissioning of INS Vikrant, India's first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), has given a big push to the Indian Navy's capabilities. The IAC II with the proposed name of INS Vishal, which simply means massive, was expected to be a 65,000-tonne warship with a capacity to accommodate more aircraft onboard and has been put on hold due to budget constraints.
Meanwhile, INS Vikrant is a 40,000-tonne carrier that can carry about 35 aircraft, including helicopters.
Addressing a press conference a day ahead of Indian Navy Day, Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said, “We are still working on what size IAC II should be and the capabilities that are desired. But, for now, we have put a hold on it because we have just commissioned INS Vikrant and we are quite happy with the way the ship performed in the trials.”
“A lot of expertise has been gained in building IAC I. We are seriously looking at a repeat order for IAC I rather than building IAC II. This would capitalize on the expertise available in the country and we could plough back into the economy,” he added.
INS Vishal aimed to be in the same league as HMS QE, featuring EMALS
Showcasing indigenous "EMAL". I can imagine that guy is asking how long do you need to get this to work?
Related link: Superior aircraft carrier put on hold, Indian Navy looks at repeat order of INS Vikrant
