MAIDEN INDIGENOUS AIRCRAFT CARRIER STARTS SEA TRIALS OFF KOCHI
CONTEXT: The much-awaited sea trials of the country’s maiden indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-1), built by the public sector Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), began.
Analysis:
- The 40,000-tonne behemoth, whose keel-laying was done in 2009, is expected to join the Navy as INS Vikrant late next year.
- Its induction will give a fillip to the ‘sea control’ capabilities of the Navy in the Indian Ocean Region, a theatre of growing geostrategic competition.
- The Navy at present operates one aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya.
- The carrier construction project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2002 and the contract for the first phase of construction was signed with the CSL in 2007.
FEATURES:
- The IAC is equipped with numerous high-end technologies, including network-centric distributed data processing and control systems, and state-of-the-art weapons such as the Barak LR-SAM (long-range surface to air missile) and sensors.
- It can carry about 30 assorted aircraft, including fighter jets and helicopters.
- It is capable of a top speed of 28 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of 7,500 nauticalmiles.
- The ship, which is 262 m long, has over 2,300 compartments and is designed to have a complement of about 1,700 people with specialised cabins to accommodate women officers.