Indian 1st indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant aces sea trials

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC), INS Vikrant, has completed its first sea voyage.

According to the statement, the ship’s performance, including hull, main propulsion and auxiliary equipment were tested.

The five-day voyage started on 4 August 2021 and the trials were described as “satisfactory”. The readiness of the ship’s propulsion and power generation equipment/systems was tested in the harbor as part of Basin Trials in November.

“Trials, which were reviewed by Vice Admiral AK Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command on the last day; have progressed as planned and system parameters have been proved satisfactory,” the ministry said.

INS Vikrant designed by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design(DND) was built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).

The indigenous aircraft carrier is 262 meters long, 62 meters at the widest part and a height of 59 meters including the superstructure. 

The ship, designed for a crew of around 1,700 people, features a high degree of automation for machinery operation, ship navigation and survivability. It can also accommodate an assortment of fixed wing and rotary aircraft, according to the company.