maiden sea voyage. The Indian Navy said that the system parameters proved satisfactory during the trials. The ship's performance, including hull, main propulsion, Power Generation and Distribution (PGD) and auxiliary equipment were tested during the exercise. This is a major boost for the Indian Navy and 'Make in India' initiative. The carrier is expected to undergo a series of sea trials prior to its delivery to the Indian Navy in 2022.INS Vikrant is 262 metres (860 ft) long and 62 metres (203 ft) wide, and displaces about 45,000 metric tons .
Vikrant is comparable in dimensions to the Indian Navy’s current aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, a completely upgraded Kiev class warship.
Vikrant is powered by four General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines on two shafts, generating over 80 megawatts (110,000 hp) of power.It has speed of 51 kph or 32 mph and an endurance of around The total cost of the project is approximatelyUS$3.2 billion.Vikrant has Israeli-supplied MF-STAR radar that can be used for surface search as well as tracking aerial contacts.
The radar is a multifunction active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar developed by IAI’s Elta division.
The radar system is made up of 4 active arrays operating in the S-band, each of the 4 arrays is positioned in one direction.
The MF-STAR is considered to be as powerful as the US Navy’s Aegis combat system that uses the AN/SPY-1D radar and forms the core of America’s most advanced Ticonderoga class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The radar can track hundreds of targets simultaneously and is said to be
capable of guiding 24 missiles. The MF-STAR is capable of detecting large aerial targets at distances > 300 km or 185
miles and sea-skimming cruise missiles at ranges > 25 km or 15.5 miles. The actual values are thought to be much higher and are classified.
INS Vikrant features a STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) configuration with a Ski-Jump. India is yet to finalize the aircraft for the carrier. Currently, the standard Indian Navy carrier fighter is the Russian made MiG-29K, which
operates from the INS Vikramaditya. Depending on the chosen fighter, the carrier is expected to accommodate 20-26 aircraft.
In late January 2017, the Indian Navy released an international Request for Information (RFI) for 57 "Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters". For Vikrant, is is likely that one of these - Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, or the MiG-29K will be selected. In December 2020, Boeing demonstrated F/A-18E/F operations from Indian carriers at the shore-based test facility at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, in U.S.A.
Since India is impressed with Rafale acquired for its Air Force and swift delivery by France , Rafale-M which is the naval variant is also a strong contender. MiG-29K has been operated
by Indian Navy already and hence there is comfort factor, making it a potential choice.
it remains to be seen which one makes the cut.
Vikrant will also have a mix of Kamov Ka-31 Helix airborne early warning helicopters, Ka-28 Helix anti-submarine helicopters, and HAL Chetak plane-guard and utility helicopters. The primary air defense weapon of INS Vikrant is the Barak 8. Barak-8, which has been jointly developed by India and Israel. This 90 km or 56 miles range missile is designed from the start to intercept supersonic cruise missiles, which travel a few meters above the water, which makes it perfect for missile defense. The carrier is expected to have 2 x 32 Vertical Launch System cells. A very important feature of Barack 8 is that the minimum engagement range is only 0.31 miles or 0.5 km. So the system can target an incoming hostile object till the very last seconds, potentially giving it the ability to target it multiple times.This enables it to intercept missiles very close to the ship and it performs the role of a point-defense SAM as well.
The role of CIWS (Close-in weapon system) is left to the 4 AK-630 6 barreled, 30 mm Gatling guns which is a last-ditch defense against missiles.INS Vikrant is an impressive engineering feat and with the inclusion of suitable fighters, the carrier will be able to project power from long range.
The Indian Navy has been focusing to boast its overall capabilities in view of China's growing attempts to increase its military presence in the Indian Ocean Region. The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical to the country's strategic interests. Once the new Vikrant is commissioned into service India will possess two carriers.
INS Vikrant would strengthen India's position in the Indian Ocean Region and its quest for a blue water Navy.
India is planning to have 3 carriers and work on next indigenous carrier, INS Vishal is progressing.
The carrier will bigger and likely to have a displacement of 65,000 tons.INS Vikrant is good first step.
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