INS Vikrant (IAC-1)

Contents• Introduction• Characteristics• History• Premature Floating• Powerplant & Design• Arrester System• Aircraft Complement• Rafale Under Consideration?• Weapons & Sensors• Revised Schedule• Status• References

Introduction• INS Vikrant (IAC-I) is the first Vikrant-class aircraft

carrier built by Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Indian Navy and the first aircraft carrier built in India. • Work on the ship's design began in 1999, and the keel was

laid in February 2009. • The carrier was floated out of its dry dock on 29 December

2011 and was launched in 2013. • Construction is expected to be completed by 2016 and the

ship is due to be commissioned in 2018. 

Characteristics• Type: Vikrant-class aircraft carrier• Displacement:40,000 tons• Length:262 m (860 ft)• Beam:60 m (200 ft)• Draught:8.4 m (28 ft)• Depth:25.6 m (84 ft)• Installed power:4 × General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines• Propulsion: Two shafts• Speed:28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)• Range:8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi)• Crew:1,400 (including air crew)• Sensors and processing systems: Selex RAN-40LElectronic warfare & decoys: C/D

band early air-warning radar]

• Armament:4 × Otobreda 76 mm LR SAM systems with a multi-function radar• Aircraft carried: 12 × Mikoyan MiG-29K 8 × HAL Tejas 10 × Kamov Ka-

31 or Westland Sea King• Aviation facilities:10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft) flight deck

History• A contract for the construction of the IAC till it "launch" was signed in 2002-03 at a cost of Rs 3,261. A

separate contract, yet to be signed, will cover the construction of the ship after launch. • Construction started in November 2006 but stalled due to paucity of steel. It picked up pace after Defence

Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) and the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) developed carrier-grade steel indigenously.

• The keel of the ship was officially laid on February 28, 2009, by Defense Minister AK Antony in the presence of Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Chief of the Naval Staff.

• By November 2009, nearly 10,000 tonnes of steel had gone into the ship's hull.• Construction once again stalled because of shortcomings in the quality gearbox developed by Gujrat based

Elecon Engineering Company Limited.• Elecon had earlier supplied CODOG marine gear boxes for the Navy's Shivalik-class stealth frigates, but

faltered with their initial attempts to make the carrier's huge main gearboxes. They eventually overcame the problem with the help of a German firm.

• On August 2, 2011, Defense Minister AK Antony told the Lok Sabha in a written reply to questions: "Regarding the Air Defence Ship being constructed at CSL, 75 percent of hull work has been completed and is expected to be launched in December 2011, after which further works will be undertaken prior to commissioning." He said the augmentation of infrastructure at CSL was in progress and Indian-made hull quality steel was now available that will reduce the country's dependence on foreign sources.  "With the infrastructure and experience, indigenous aircraft carrier-sized ships can be built at CSL. Additionally, Indian-manufactures warship quality steel is now available, which will reduce dependence on foreign countries," he said.

Premature Floating• On December 29, 2011, the ship was prematurely floated to clear the dry dock in which it is being constructed for use by a commercial ship.• A senior naval functionary then told The Hindu, "The carrier has taken on about 14,000 tonnes. She would now undergo interior outfitting, including the laying of pipes before being dry-docked again in the latter half of next year for integration of the propulsion gear-box, generators and the like."• The ship was originally planned to be 'launched' with a weight of around 25,000 tonnes by October 2010.

Powerplant & Design• Powerplant - The ship features Combined Gas on Gas (CGOG)

propulsion with 2 shafts, each coupled to 2 x LM2500 Gas Turbines developing a total power of 80 MW, sufficient to attain speeds in excess of 28 knots. It will have an endurance of around 7,500 nautical miles at 18 knots.• Design - The ship was designed by the Directorate of Naval

Design (DND) which has an experience of over 40 years in successfully designing 17 different classes of warships, to which around 90 ships have already been built within the country. • Design Collaboration - DND designed 70% of the ship,

starting in 2001-02. It used an Italian company, Fincantieri, as design consultants for integrating the propulsion system, while a Russian firm, NDB, is contributing aviation technology. 

Arrester System• The IAC will feature three arrester cables supplied by Marine Engineering Research Institute and made by Proletarsky Zavod plant which produces all Russian arresters and arresting hooks.• The institute has reportedly delivered two arresters already and took part in construction of naval aviation training center built on Goa, India. • Since the IAC will host MiG-29K and LCA Naval it needs an arrester cable that can work with both the aircraft that have radically different weights. • The Russian suppliers were able to resolve the issue successfully.

Aircraft Complement• The Navy plans to equip IAC-1 with a mix of MiG-29K / LCA

Naval Variant currently under development at ADA.• However, in view of the slow progress of the LCA project,

the service is actively looking at alternatives.• It has issued an RFI (request for information) to several

global aviation majors, including American Boeing, French Dassault and Russian MiG companies, for ‘an alternate deck-based aircraft’ in November, 2009.• ‘‘Information is being sought to acquire over 40 fighters for

the 40,000-tonne IAC-1 (indigenous aircraft carrier), being built at the Cochin shipyard and expected to roll out by 2014-2015 now, and IAC-2, which will follow later,’’ a source told TOI. 

Rafale Under Consideration?• In June 2012 Flight magazine, quoting sources, reported that the Indian Navy was considering the use of Rafale M (Naval variant) on the IAC.• The Rafale M is almost the same size as the MiG-29K, but packs a much greater punch. •With delays and doubts continuing to plague the LCA Navy program, the Navy sees the Rafale M as the only effective counter to J-15 (Su-33 rip off) that China is likely to deploy on its aircraft carrier Shi Lang.• Since the IAF will be acquiring the Rafale in large numbers, support and maintenance of the Rafale M will pose little problem.

Weapons and Sensors• The carrier will field long-range surface-to-air missile  (LR SAM)

systems with a multi-function radar, a close-in weapon system, the most modern C/D band early air-warning radar and the V/UHF tactical air-navigational and direction finding systems.• The LR-SAM system is being developed jointly by Israel Aerospace

Industries (IAI) and DRDO. • The ship will have jamming capabilities over the expected

electromagnetic (EM) environment, along with carrier control approach radars to aid air operations. • Integration of all weapon systems onboard will be through an

indigenous combat management system  (CMS) developed by Tata Power Systems.• The ship’s integration with the Navy’s network-centric operations

will provide for force multiplication.

Revised Schedule• On August 27, 2012, Minister of Defense Shri AK Antony told the

parliament that the ship is now expected to be launched in 2013 and delivered in 2018.• "The complexity of the project and this being the first ship of its

kind being built in India has led to timelines being extended. AS per the Phase-I Contract concluded with M/s. Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi, the first launch of the ship was envisaged in October, 2010. However, due to delays in receipt of steel plates and pre-launch equipment like diesel alternators and gearboxes, the launch of the ship is now expected in 2013. Delivery of the ship is presently envisaged in 2018," Antony said.

Status• According to Vice Admiral Robin Dhowan, about 83% of the

fabrication work and 75% of the construction work was complete. • He said that 90% of the body work of the aircraft carrier had been

designed and made in India, about 50% of the propulsion system, and about 30% of her weaponry. • He also said that the ship would be equipped with a long range

missile system with multi-function radar and a close-in weapon system (CIWS).  • After the launch, Vikrant was re-docked for the second phase of

construction, in which the ship will be fitted with various weapons and sensors, and the propulsion system, flight deck and the aircraft complex will be integrated.

References• https://sites.google.com/site/idpsentinel/naval-projects/aircraft-carriers/indian-airc

raft-carrier-iac-project-71• http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2013-08/12/132621726_71n.jpg• http://dd508hmafkqws.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/styles/article_node_view/p

ublic/Vikrant%20Kochi_0.jpg• http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cTaLGgz4Ru8/TTfiHf3CYZI/AAAAAAAATkI/rlaxy-xfDXQ/s

400/Vikrant03.jpg• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NuPLxSFOAus/UfyeHkL7sMI/AAAAAAAAUuU/GpZa-sRZF

y4/s400/2-744732.jpg• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIW_XLdoSI4/TwgDCmC2nkI/AAAAAAAAHlk/2IaaMpCLBz

o/s1600/Indigenous+Aircraft+Carrier+Indian+Aircraft+Carrier+%2528Project-71%2529%2528IAC%2529+Tejas+Mk+1+Naval+fighter+jet+MK-II+I+1+2+Indian+Navy+IN++STOBAR+INS+Vikramaditya%252C+INS+Vikrant+Cochin+Shipyard+Ltd+%2528CSL%2529+%2528Air+Defense+Ship%2529%252C+%25282%2529.jpg

• http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/3391/40843486.jpg• https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/601956_396342543805

376_2020920363_n.jpg• http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130812065726-01-ins-vikrant-0812-horiz

ontal-gallery.jpg• http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130812070044-04-ins-vikrant-0812-horiz

ontal-gallery.jpg• http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130812070408-06-ins-vikrant-0812-horiz

ontal-gallery.jpg• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2li8m82WId0/UfyeG0TdPDI/AAAAAAAAUuI/Lx-tPjgtgbU/

s1600/6-741206.jpg• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Vikrant_(2013)• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/%E0%B4%B5%E0%B

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