Kochi( India): India has commissioned its first locally built aircraft carrier, Vikrant, at a ceremony in the southern state of Kerala. The BBC’s Jugal Purohit took a boat tour before joining the Indian Navy.
On Friday morning, the 45,000-tonne Vikrant was given the prefix INS (Indian Naval Ship) at a formal commissioning ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It is a moment that took 13 years to develop.
The vessel, 262 m (860 ft) long and nearly 60 m (197 ft) tall, is India’s first self-designed and self-built aircraft carrier. She has the capacity to house 30 fighter planes and helicopters.
India’s other aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, can carry more than 30 aircraft. The UK Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth can carry around 40, and the US Navy’s Nimitz-class carriers can accommodate more than 60 aircraft.
Vikrant, which cost around 200bn rupees ($2.5bn; £2.1bn), was expected to be inducted into the navy by 2017. But the second phase of its construction was beset by delays.
But the ship’s commissioning is still a historic moment for India, which will now join a select group of countries capable of building such a vessel. It’s also a shot in the arm for Mr Modi’s plans to boost domestic defence manufacturing.
The name ‘Vikrant’ (which means courageous) is also special – it was what India’s first aircraft carrier, bought from the UK and commissioned in 1961, was called. The first INS Vikrant was a major symbol of national pride and played an essential role in several military operations – including the 1971 war – before decommissioning in 1997.
After Friday’s commissioning, the new Vikrant will sail across Indian and international waters, accompanied by a fleet of frigates, destroyers and submarines to protect it.
Inside the ship
At present, Vikrant is at the government-owned Cochin Shipyard in Kerala state – where the ship was built and the commissioning ceremony was held.
Once it’s in service, it will eventually be the workplace – and home – for 1,700 crew members. Ahead of the ceremony, technicians were everywhere – fixing cables, polishing the interiors and ensuring everything was in shape for the commissioning.
Teeming with the crew, journalists, and visitors, the ship’s insides felt like an unending complex of noisy workshops.
An officer showed us around the Throttle Control Room – “the heart of the ship”.
“From here, the gas turbine engines can be operated, which is how this floating city moves,” Lieutenant-Commander Sai Krishnan, a senior engineering officer, said. He added that the four engines on board build up 88MW of power – enough to supply a city.
Three galleys, or pantries, have coffee-vending machines, tables and chairs, and places to keep large utensils.
“If you combine these galleys, close to 600 personnel can have their meals simultaneously,” an officer said. The ship also has a 16-bed hospital, two operation theatres and intensive care units.
In the hangar, two Russian-origin aircraft – a MiG-29K fighter and a Kamov-31 early warning helicopter – are placed towards the rear end.
“Think of this like a parking space, with a team that looks after maintenance and repairs. Special lifts take the aircraft to the flight deck for flying operations,” said Lieutenant-Commander Vijay Sheoran.
The navy plans to test intensive flying operations from the ship later this year.
“Our flight deck size is nearly 12,500sqm – almost as big as two-and-a-half hockey fields – and we can operate 12 fighter planes and six helicopters at once,” said Lieutenant-Commander Siddharth Soni, the flight deck officer.