India gets first indigenous aircraft carrier as PM Modi commissions INS Vikrant in Kochi

India on Friday joined an exclusive club of five nations with the capability of designing and constructing a 40,000 tonnes class aircraft carrier from scratch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioning INS Vikrant at the Cochin shipyard that built the massive warship over the past 13 years.

"So far only developed countries have made such warships. Today India moved a step forward to join the league of developed nations," the Prime Minister said here at the commissioning of INS Vikrant.He also unveiled a new flag for the Indian Navy doing away with the pre-independence tradition of using the St George's Cross - a practice adopted by the Royal Navy more than 200 years ago.

In the new flag the Ashoka emblem sits atop an anchor at the centre while the tricolour has been retained on the top left. The central seal with the national emblem and naval crest is embossed on a blue coloured seal inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji's fleet.

Modi said INS Vikrant would be having women warriors as a sign of a new India where there would be "no barriers for India's daughters just like the waves of the sea".

"But as the floating airfield sails out of Kochi, INS Vikrant would be having a solitary on-board combat jet that was towed to the ship months ago to test the turntable lift that brings up the jets from the hangar five decks below to the flight deck.The naval squadron INAS 300 would begin the flight trial in November and continue till the middle of 2023 after which the carrier would operate with its most potent weapon.

When fully weaponised, INS Vikrant will be Barak-8 Surface to Air missile, AK-630 Close in Weapon System and stabilised remote control guns. The ship will be able to fly the indigenous naval combat jet as and when it is inducted.With MiG-29K suffering from a serious serviceability issue and the twin engine deck based fighter not yet ready, Indian Navy plans to buy 26 naval fighters from a foreign firm.

Half a dozen naval helicopters can touch down and lift up from Vikram's flight deck. They range from the latest US-origin MH-60R to the age-old Seaking and Chetak. Other choppers that will operate from Vibrant are Russian-origin Kamov-31 and Kamov-28 to home made ALH."For Captain Vidhayadhar Harke, the most important task would be to integrate the team as not everyone is of the same calibre. The weakest link in the chain has to be secured," a senior Navy Officer told DH.

"During flight trials, the entire focus should be on safe flying. The crew has to go through the drills hundreds of times everyday," he added.With MiG29K having a serious serviceability issue and the twin engine deck-based fighter aircraft not yet ready, the Navy plans to buy 26 deck-borne fighter aircraft from a foreign firm for which F-18 of Boeing and Rafale-M of Dassault Aviation are in contention. Both companies participated in flight trials and trial results are being evaluated.