DefenceIndian Navy

INS Vikramaditya Ready To Rejoin Indian Navy Fleet After 15-Month Refit

Story Highlights
  • The INS Vikrant will be based in Visakhapatnam on the country's eastern coast, while the INS Vikramaditya will operate on the country's western coast.
  • Based on the Navy's suggestion, the government will buy 26 fighters from another government, which will include eight trainers with two seats.

The INS Vikramaditya, India’s first aircraft carrier, is likely to start sailing again next week. It has been getting a major makeover at Karwar Naval Base for the past 15 months, and that work is now done.

After long sea trials, the 45,000-ton aircraft carrier will be given to the Indian Navy on March 31, and MiG-29K fighter operations will begin in April 2023.

Officials told the report that INS Vikramaditya will move to the outer anchorage of Karwar Naval Base using its own engines. It will then start sea trials between Goa and its home port, INS Kadamba, in March.

Even though air operations won’t start until April, different checks of the weapons and surface-to-air missile systems will start in March.

With 26 MiG-29K fighters and 10 Kamov Ka-31 and Ka-28 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters on board, the aircraft carrier will give the Indian Navy more power.

After the repairs are done, the Indian Navy will have two fully-equipped aircraft carriers. The other one, INS Vikrant, is currently going through sea trials. Once they are in place, the two carriers will give the Indo-Pacific region a lot more firepower at sea. One will be on the western seaboard along the Arabian Sea, and the other will be in the Bay of Bengal. This is important because China is increasing the number of its ships in the area.

The INS Vikrant will be based in Visakhapatnam on the country’s eastern coast, while the INS Vikramaditya will operate on the country’s western coast.

The Narendra Modi government has already started the process to buy fighter jets for the INS Vikrant. The French Rafale-M and the US F-18 are the two most likely options.

Based on the Navy’s suggestion, the government will buy 26 fighters from another government, which will include eight trainers with two seats.

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