
While the aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy INS Vikramaditya is preparing to leave the shipyard after a long repair, the command of the Indian fleet is considering ordering another aircraft carrier, which would repeat the recently built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
Since the service life of Vikramaditya will end in the foreseeable future, the new aircraft carrier is intended to be its replacement. Now the command of the Indian Navy is analyzing the fleet's needs for a larger and more combat-ready aircraft carrier.
If we have to design a new aircraft carrier, it will take time and we will need to introduce new technologies
- says the commander of the Indian Navy, Admiral R. Hari Kumar.
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Navy, the new aircraft carrier will be completely different, and work on its creation may begin in the very near future. As the admiral noted, new technologies are emerging, under which aircraft carriers should also be adapted. For example, an aircraft carrier must be able to launch a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The planned aircraft carrier may be larger than the INS Vikrant. Currently, the Indian Navy requires three aircraft carriers, given the specifics of their maintenance. Admiral Kumar noted that Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has gained significant experience in aircraft carrier construction since the creation of INS Vikrant, and this experience should definitely be applied to the construction of a new aircraft carrier.
The re-order, according to Kumar, will be characterized by the introduction of the most modern technologies and improvements in the capabilities of the aircraft carrier. Recall that in September 2022, the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was put into operation. Now it is being tested, and it will be fully ready for combat use by the end of 2023.