6 September 2022, NIICE Commentary 8241
Barshan Karmakar
After 18 years, the Indian Navy commissioned the second aircraft carrier ‘INS Vikrant’ on 2 September 2022 which has been indigenously developed in India by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). After INS Vikramaditya, the currently serving aircraft carrier in the Indian Navy, which is a Russian-origin aircraft carrier, developed from a former Soviet-built Kiev-class Aircraft Carrier Admiral Gorshkov acquired in 2013, Vikrant doubles the strength. Though this development has shown a sign of a boost in India’s initiative of a self-reliant defence sector. It will also play a vital role to project India’s maritime power and give Indian Navy an upper hand to ensure security and order in terms of Maritime Governance in the Indian Ocean Region.
History and the Undiscovered Legacy of INS Vikrant
The origin of the INS Vikrant, which was the first aircraft carrier that entered service with the Indian Navy, stems from a former British Naval ship HMS Hercules, which was developed by Vickers Armstrong of Newcastle. The ship was laid down in 1943 October and launched on September 1945, but it never entered into service with the Royal Navy, as the project was suspended in 1946. The HMS Hercules was the fifth ship in the series of the sixth Majestic Class Light Aircraft Carrier that was planned to be built during the Second World War to contend against the German destroyers. But none of them was commissioned in service. For ten years HMS Hercules was laid up, finally until January 1957 when India purchased the ship.
On 4 March 1961, the INS Vikrant was commissioned into the Indian Navy, as the first aircraft carrier in Indian Service bearing the pennant number of ‘R11’ and served actively for the next 36 years, until 1997. In between 1961 to 1997, the INS Vikrant had been both a witness and a participant in two subsequent wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. Also, it was this aircraft carrier that supported and refitted the first Sea Harrier Operations between 1979-1982.
After joining Indian Service, Captain Pritam Singh was deputed the charge as the first Commanding Officer (CO) of the Ship, with its initial carrier trials being held in the United Kingdom, followed by a six-week work-up programme in the Mediterranean Sea. The first carrier-landings of Hawker Seahawk Jets were held on 18 May 1961.
In the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, the Vikrant played a pivotal role in the Eastern Sector to support Naval Operations and a raid at the Chittagong Harbour. At the onset of the War, the INS Vikrant was inducted into the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, where it was a prime target of the Pakistani Attack-Submarine PNS Ghazi which dropped mines outside the Visakhapatnam Harbour in the Bay of Bengal.
Development of the New INS Vikrant
The plan for the development of the new INS Vikrant was laid at a time when the need was realised to develop a new aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy. Therefore, going back in 1999 the then Defense Minister of India, George Fernandes authorised the plan for the development and construction of INS Vikrant under Project 71 Air Defence Ship (ADS). As the need arose regarding chalking out an alternative for marking future replacement of the ageing fleet of Sea Harrier Jump-Jets that was in service with the Indian Navy and making a platform that could carry advanced jet fighters onboard.
On 28 February 2009, the final development of the project began when the keel of the ship was laid by then India’s Minister of Defence, Arakaparambil Kurien Antony at the Cochin Shipyard with its hull being completed in 2012.
In terms of the technicalities of the ship, the length and breadth were made as 262m and 62m, with a displacement of 45,000tn. That could run at a speed of 28kns, which is 7,500nmi. The ship contains 18 floors, 14 decks and around 2,300 compartments making it the largest ship, that has been built to date in independent India’s history of engineering marvels.
In terms of the inventory, the aircraft carrier will be having the Russian-built Mikoyan MiG-29K and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) built LCA Tejas Navy, American-built Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capable Helicopters and Kamov Ka-31 Helicopters and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)’s Maritime Variant. A total budget of around 20,000 crores was sanctioned for the development of this warship.
The first pre-commissioning sea trails of the ship were carried out in August 2021, which went on to be followed further, until the final induction. But there had been various delays in the final launching of the ship, which was supposed to be in 2010, that went on postponed according to a proposed plan for sea trials as per a commendation of the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2013, thereby going towards induction in 2014. Again, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the plan stalled, instead of 2020, it went to 2021 and finally got commissioned in 2022.
Gaining an Edge in the Maritime Domain
India has the most efficient and well-built and professional naval force which helps it to get established and well-recognised among the top-ten powerful navies of the world, that operates a full-scale Blue Water Navy. The Vice Chief of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Satishkumar Namadeo Ghormade said, “Vikrant would serve as an alternative in terms of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean”. Also in a way, it will help to reduce and cover the capability gap that had resulted for so long with the sole aircraft carrier going to an overhauling facility for long months or even years. It would even support and help in performing the proposed duty of a carrier-battlegroup.
As maritime traffic and around 90 percent of trade through seas raise the need of having a strong Naval Force too, for the sole purpose of ensuring security and order at the seas. Thus, since the end of the Second World War, it was only a handful of nations, like the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet (Russia), France and China manufactured Aircraft Carriers. Finally, India has joined this club of the elite nations by indigenously manufacturing the Vikrant and employing 2 aircraft carriers in service. Keeping view of its security and capability goals as well, especially to contain China’s growing Naval Might. Currently China has two aircraft carriers in service and is developing a third aircraft carrier named ‘Fujian’, which is proposed to be commissioned in 2025 with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
So, it was the need of an hour for the Indian Navy to have two aircraft carriers for a long time. The need for having another third aircraft carrier is being tabled by the Indian Navy repeatedly to multiply the force inventory and at the same time, the Government of India need to ensure the required budget.
Barshan Karmakar is Post-Graduate Scholar at the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute for South Asian Regional Cooperation (UMISARC), Centre for South Asian Studies, Pondicherry Central University, India.
