Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi commissioned the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) on September 02, 2022. INS Vikrant is a major milestone in the path towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister exclaimed “Vikrant is huge, massive, and vast. Vikrant is distinguished, Vikrant is also special. Vikrant is not just a warship. This is a testament to the hard work, talent, influence and commitment of India in the 21st century. He further said, here on the coast of Kerala, every Indian is witnessing the sunrise of a new future. This event is held on the INS Vikrant as a tribute to the rising spirits of India on the world horizon.
The Prime Minister acknowledged and praised the contribution of the Navy, engineers of Cochin Shipyard, scientists and especially the workers who worked on the project.
Explaining the massive proportions of the indigenous INS Vikrant, the Prime Minister said it is like a floating city. It produces electricity that is sufficient to power 5000 households and the wiring used will reach Kashi from Kochi, he said. He said that INS Vikrant is a living embodiment of the Spirit of the Panch Prans that he proclaimed from the ramparts of Red Fort.
About INS Vikrant
- INS Vikrant is designed by Indian Navy’s in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways
- INS Vikrant is the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of India.
- It is 262.5 m long and 61.6 m wide
- Vikrant displaces approx 43,000 T, having a maximum designed speed of 28 Knots with the endurance of 7,500 Nautical Miles.
- The ship has around 2,200 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,600 including women officers and sailors.
- The carrier is designed with a very high degree of automation for machinery operations and is equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment and systems.
- INS Vikrant can operate an air wing consisting of 30 aircraft comprising of MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multi-role helicopters, in addition to indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy).
- INS Vikrant is equipped with a ski-jump for launching aircraft, and a set of ‘arrester wires’ for their recovery onboard.