Homegrown INS Vikrant sails into Navy

Kochi: India launched its maiden indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioning the warship that put India into a select league of countries with domestic capability to develop such large vessels.

Modi, who also unveiled a new Naval Ensign inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, said the country has taken off a "burden of slavery." He said Vikrant, which means victorious, is huge, massive, and vast. "Vikrant is distinguished, Vikrant is also special. Vikrant is not just a warship and stood testimony to Indian skills and talent," he said.

He also spoke about certain features of the aircraft carrier -- which he described as a "floating airfield, a floating town" -- and said the power generated in it can light up 5,000 houses.

At a ceremony attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, among others at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) here, the PM unveiled the new Naval Ensign.

"Today on the historic date of September 2, 2022, India has taken off a trace of slavery, a burden of slavery. The Indian Navy has got a new flag from today. Till now the identity of slavery remained on the flag of Indian Navy. But from today onwards, inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the new Navy flag will fly in the sea and in the sky", he said and dedicated it to the legendary Maratha king.

Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the induction of INS Vikrant, named after its predecessor that played a crucial role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, into the Navy.

With Vikrant's induction, India has joined a select club of nations such as the US, the UK, Russia, China and France in having niche capability to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier.

"Today 2 Sep 22 marks the acceptance of #INSVikrant as a potent unit of the operating forces of the @indiannavy. Wishing her fair winds & following seas…#AtmanirbharBharat", a Defence spokesman tweeted immediately after the commissioning.

The 262 m long and 62 m wide carrier displaces approximately 43000 T when fully loaded, having a maximum designed speed of 28 knots with endurance of 7500 NM. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore, it has state-of-the-art features and can operate air wing consisting of 30 aircraft, including MiG-29K fighter jets, besides the domestically manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH).