India's first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant completes sea trials


According to information published by the Indian government on July 11, 2022, the fourth phase of Sea Trials for IAC has been successfully completed, during which integrated trials of the majority of equipment and systems onboard including some of the Aviation Facilities Complex equipment were undertaken.
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Russian Vyborg Shipyard laid the Purga ice class coastguard ship of project 23550 925 001 Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (Picture source: Indian government)


The ship’s delivery is being targeted for the end of Jul 22, followed by the commissioning of the ship on Aug 22 to commemorate ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

The Indigenous design and construction of Aircraft Carrier by the Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard Ltd is a shining example in the Nation’s quest for ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India Initiative’ with more than 76% indigenous content.

This has led to growth in indigenous design and construction capabilities, besides the development of a large number of ancillary industries, with employment opportunities for over 2000 CSL personnel and about 12000 employees in ancillary industries.

Maiden Sea Trials of IAC were successfully completed on Aug 21. This was followed by the second and third phases of the Sea Trials on Oct 21 and Jan 22 respectively.

During these three phases of Sea Trials, endurance testing of propulsion machinery, electrical & electronic suites, deck machinery, lifesaving appliances, ship Navigation and Communication systems was undertaken.

About the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant, also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1), is an aircraft carrier constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Indian Navy. It is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India.

Work on the ship's design began in 1999, and the keel was laid in February 2009. The carrier was floated out of its dry dock on 29 December 2011 and was launched on 12 August 2013. The basin trials were completed in December 2020, and the ship started sea trials in August 2021.

The indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant is 262 meters (860 ft) long and 62 meters (203 ft) wide and displaces about 45,000 metric tons (44,000 long tons).

It features a STOBAR configuration with a ski jump. The deck is designed to enable aircraft such as the MiG-29K to operate from the carrier.

It is expected to carry an air group of up to thirty aircraft, which will include up to 24–26 fixed-wing combat aircraft, primarily the MiG-29K, besides carrying 10 Kamov Ka-31 or Westland Sea King helicopters. The Ka-31 will fulfill the airborne early warning (AEW) role and the Sea King will provide anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability.

Vikrant is powered by four General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines on two shafts, generating over 80 megawatts (110,000 hp) of power. The gearboxes for the carriers were designed and supplied by Elecon Engineering.