Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya back in action after 15-month refit

The aircraft carrier weighing 45,000 tonnes will be officially handed over to the Indian Navy by March 31

India's first aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya will start sailing next week after a 15-month revamp at the Karwal Naval Base and will go for sea trials in March, Hindustan Times reported.

The aircraft carrier, weighing 45,000 tonnes, was sent for the refit in December 2021 and will be officially handed over to the Indian Navy by March 31. The operations by MiG-29K will start in April. The ship will move to the outer anchorage of Karwar Naval Base under its own engines and the trials will begin between Goa and INS Kadamba in March with test air operations starting in April.

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The warship has the capacity to carry a maximum of 36 aircraft including 26 MiG-29K fighters and 10 Kamov Ka-31 advance electronic warning (AEW) and Ka-28 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters.

India will have two aircraft carriers after INS Vikramaditya is ready for operations, the other being INS Vikrant, already undergoing sea trials on the western seaboard. Vikrant will be based in Visakhapatnam on the eastern seaboard of India and the former Russian carrier INS Vikramaditya will be based on the western.

The Centre will take a call on fighters that will be placed onboard the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier. The government will make the purchases based on the Indian Navy's recommendations.

India is planning to strengthen its defence sector to challenge China’s aggressive stance. According to reports, China’s navy is expanding its presence from Malacca Straits to the South Indian Ocean.