India’s first homegrown aircraft carrier ship, INS Vikrant will join the navy by 2020 according to the country’s top naval officer. The news was revealed at his annual press conference on December 4, ahead of India’s Navy Day. Sunil Lamba said that the indigenous aircraft carrier is progressing well at work and was hopeful of it joining the Indian Navy by 2020.
The construction of the majestic INS Vikrant (R11) commenced around the turn of the century and has been a long time in making. After its soft launch in 2013, the construction continued and the ship was not officially launched until about two years after that. Around the time of the 2015 launching, Indian media reports suggested the INS Vikrant would join the navy as early as 2017 or 2018.
The INS Vikrant weighs 40,000-tons, with a length of 260 meters and a width of 60 meters. Earlier this year, a reporter from The Hindu who toured the ship quoted one of the shipyard’s supervisors as saying the carrier has 14 decks in all, including five in the superstructure.
The ship will be powered by four GE LM2500+ gas turbines using a combined gas and gas configuration, according to IHS Jane’s. Italy’s aircraft carrier, the ITS Cavour, also uses four LM2500+ gas turbines as part of its propulsion system. Diesel generators will provide electricity to the ship and power the weapon systems of the INS Vikrant.
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