INS Vikrant (IAC1) & INS Vikramaditya - News & Discussions

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INS Vikrant: Navy Chief reviews construction of India's indigenous aircraft carrier

New Delhi: Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Thursday reviewed the construction of the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier - Vikrant, at the Cochin Shipyard. The Navy expects the 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier to be fully operational by 2019.
Admiral Lanba took stock of the various construction activities related to Vikrant - named after India's first aircraft carrier that was acquired from the UK in 1961. "At the shipyard, the CNS (chief of Naval staff) accompanied by the FOC-in-C (South) and other senior officials of the Navy took a walk around of the ship to get a first hand appreciation of the progress of work onboard," a Defence release stated.
The ship, which is designed to survive attack by nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, puts India in the elite group of nations like the US, Russia, the UK and France that are capable of designing and constructing aircraft carriers. Once complete, it would be able to accommodate 12 MiG-29Ks, eight Tejas Light Combat Aircrafts and 10 helicopters, and is expected to have a range of 7,500 nautical miles at 18 knots speed.
At an allocated cost of Rs 20,000 crore, its construction - approved first in 2003 - has, however, suffered numerous delays and has taken a toll on Navy resources.
In a report, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had previously highlighted that construction activities are likely to be finished only by 2023. "It is evident from the PERT chart (September 2014) of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) that while the delivery of the carrier with completion of all activities is likely to be achieved only by 2023," read the report.
In sharp contrast, China launched its own indigenous aircraft carrier in April of this year and reports suggest it can become operational by 2020. At 70,000 tonnes, the Type 001A - named Shandong - will help the country edge past India for the first time in number of aircraft carriers each has. India currently has the solitary INS Vikramaditya after it decommissioned INS Viraat earlier in the year.
According to several defence experts, the Indian Navy is also lacking in the number of submarines it has. With 11 of its 13 submarines more than 25 years old, Indian Navy has a big problem at hand - especially in the backdrop of reports that China is looking at expanding its presence in the Indian Ocean. Chinese Navy currently has more than 70 submarines.

INS Vikrant: Navy Chief reviews construction of India's indigenous aircraft carrier
 
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#UPDATE for IAC-2

India's 2nd indigenous aircraft carrier IAC-2 will be a conventionally powered 65,000 ton flat-top CATOBAR vessel, with either EMALS or SteamCat & AAG: @IndianNavy chief Sunil Lanba

DP8_Bo1UQAA_1Ma.jpg

Image for reference.

source: LiveFist
 
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vstol Jockey said:
what did I tell you guys a few days back on that other forum? Well it might be hybrid with just cat and a ski-ramp
Click to expand...
I am still not convinced with the power sourcing.. The hybrid design is what we discussed earlier but plan entailed twin N reactors ... now why suddenly its off the books, is a bit strange...

I still believe conventional at that size will be first talked.. cost will be formulated and finally power source will be changed ..

Or else we have to sign up Logistics support every few days distance and carry multiple refueller with CBG.. Thats a sitting duck scenario. or its crippled pretty quickly... dont you think so?

@halloweene @Picdelamirand-oil
What happened to revival of PA-2?
 
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Aashish said:
I am still not convinced with the power sourcing.. The hybrid design is what we discussed earlier but plan entailed twin N reactors ... now why suddenly its off the books, is a bit strange...

I still believe conventional at that size will be first talked.. cost will be formulated and finally power source will be changed ..

Or else we have to sign up Logistics support every few days distance and carry multiple refueller with CBG.. Thats a sitting duck scenario. or its crippled pretty quickly... dont you think so?

@halloweene @Picdelamirand-oil
What happened to revival of PA-2?
Click to expand...
PA-2 is the worst carrier that could have been designed by any nation. And especially so for French who designed Mistral class. PA-2 is like going back 300 yrs in history. IN will never accept it.
 
PA2 is completely dead. It was based on the British Queen Elizabeth-class, so any deficiency of the design can be blamed on them. :p

The latest design studies by Naval Group, like the DEAC, are sensibly different.
 
Work on INS Vikrant Aircraft Carrier, IAC 1 under full-swing
Saturday, December 09, 2017
By: National Interest


India’s first homegrown aircraft carrier will join the navy by the end of 2020, according to the country’s top naval officer.

At his annual press conference ahead of India’s Navy Day on December 4, navy chief Adm. Sunil Lanba revealed: “Work on Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, IAC 1, is progressing well and I am hopeful that the ship would join the Navy by 2020.”


India’s homegrown aircraft carrier, which is called the INS Vikrant, has been a long time in the making. Construction of the ship first began around the turn of the century but it has suffered repeated delays. Although the carrier enjoyed a “soft” launch in 2013, it wasn’t officially launched until about two years after that. Even after that officially launching, construction has continued.

Around the time of the 2015 launching, Indian media reports suggested the INS Vikrant would join the navy as early as 2017 or 2018. I expressed skepticism about this back then, noting,“given India’s defense procurement history, including that of its Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) project, one should expect this deadline to ultimately be missed.” The 2020 deadline is no sure thing either, although it is slightly more realistic than the original 2017 one.

Whenever it joins the navy, the carrier will be a significant boost to India’s naval power. 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,” Earlier Indian media reports had said: “It has two take-off runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires, capable of operating STOBAR [Short-takeoff-but arrested recovery] aircraft including the indigenous LCA, as well as a range of helicopters with hangar facilities.”

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.

To provide the ship’s punch, the Indian navy began soliciting bids from international firms for fifty-seven carrier-based aircraft in January of this year. The detailed proposal released stated that New Delhi was looking for planes that were “capable of operations during day and night, and in all weather conditions; and be suitable for shipborne air defense, air-to-surface, ‘buddy-buddy’ aerial refueling, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and other unspecified roles.” India reportedly received offers for American F-18 Hornets, French Rafales, Swedish Sea Gripens and Russian MiG-29Ks. India’s navy already operate MiG-29Ks although it recently expressed displeasure with them. Delhi also concluded a deal with France last year to purchase thirty-six land-based Rafales. At the press conference, Admiral Lanba said he expected a decision on which plane India will purchase to be made by the middle of 2018. The original request for information New Delhi issued in January said that the winning bidder should begin delivering planes three years after the contract is signed and all the aircraft should be in India within six years. This also suggests the indigenous carrier might miss the 2020 deadline, although New Delhi could use its existing MiG-29Ks.

The INS Vikrant will be the first of two aircraft carriers India is building domestically, with the latter one being much larger and more advanced. Admiral Lanba discussed this second carrier during his press conference, according to local media reports. “We have analyzed it, and fixed the form and fit. It is going to be about 65,000 tonnes. It will have catapult-assisted take-off and arrestor recovery,” the naval chief said. He added: “It will be conventionally powered and we are going through the process of taking it to the (Defense) Ministry.”

As I previously noted, India and the United States are in discussions for Washington to equip India’s second homegrown aircraft carrier with electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS). EMALS, which are built by General Atomics, are the most advanced launch systems in the world, and are used by America’s new Ford-class carriers.

India’s navy already has experience operating aircraft carriers. It has previously operated two former English aircraft carriers, starting in 1961. The second one of these wasn’t decommissioned until earlier this year. Moreover, New Delhi operates the INS Vikramaditya, a refurbished Kiev-class carrier it purchased from Russia for $2.35 billion. The 44,400-ton INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in Russia in 2013, and formally inducted into the Indian navy back in June of 2014.

link: India's First Homegrown Aircraft Carrier Will Join the Navy by the End of 2020
 
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Indian Navy's Next Aircraft Carrier To Be Massive 65,000 Tonne Beast With Deadly Firepower And Powerful Fighters
ins_vikramaditya_and_virat_at_sea_1512395028.jpg

INDIATIMES
DECEMBER 04, 2017
1.5K SHARES

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba today said a request for proposal (RFP) is likely to be issued by mid-2018 for the procurement of 57 multi-role combat fighter jets for the Navy's aircraft carrier.
"Hopefully we will be able to issue the RFP by middle of next year," he said.
navy_chief_admiral_sunil_lanba_1512388811_725x725.jpg

BCCL
Four aircraft manufacturers have shown interest in the project.
The Navy chief also said the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC I) will be ready by 2020 and the Navy was looking for deck based combat capable fighter aircraft for it.

He said the naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. cannot operate from deck and that is why the Navy was looking for other options.
"I need a deck based combat capable fighter by 2020 for IAC I. In present state, LCA Navy cannot be operated from deck," he said.
ALSO READ: Oldest Aircraft Carrier In The World, INS Viraat To Be Made A Tourist Spot In Andhra Pradesh
ins_vikramaditya_1512391081_725x725.jpg

PTI
The Navy chief also said that the "form and fit" of the second indigenous aircraft carrier have been finalised and that it will be a 65,000-tonne vessel.
Replying to a question, he said there will not be any financial constraints in procuring 57 new deck based fighter jets.

At the same time, he indicated that declining capital budget for the Navy was a matter of concern. He said he had raised the issue with the defence ministry.

Indian Navy's Next Aircraft Carrier To Be Massive 65,000 Tonne Beast With Deadly Firepower
 
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What Good Are the Indian Navy’s Aircraft Carriers Against Pakistan?
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
By: The Diplomat



The Indian Navy is devoting enormous resources to the development of an effective, multi-ship carrier force. It remains unclear, however, precisely how the Indian Navy would use that force in the event of a rekindled war with Pakistan.

A recent Naval War College Review article by Ben Wan Beng Ho sheds some light on the problems that India’s carrier force might have in taking the fight to Pakistan. Long story short, India’s carriers would face enormous risks in undertaking offensive operations, with very uncertain benefits.

Ho argues that the need for self-defense, combined with limited deck space, make it very difficult for INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, either separately or in tandem, to threaten Pakistani land installations. Pakistan’s A2/AD network, including submarines, aircraft, and surface ships, poses a credible threat to the carriers, making their use in offensive operations very risky. Conceivably, Pakistan could even attack Indian carriers with tactical nuclear weapons, if the war developed in that direction. The Indian carriers would struggle to execute a close blockade of Pakistani ports, destroy the Pakistani surface fleet, or do much damage to Pakistani military targets on land.

Ho suggests that the carrier fleet would be better employed as a decisive late-war weapon, after Indian Air Force assets had worn down Pakistani defenses. This would have the benefit of enabling India to bring its entire carrier force to bear. Ho also argues that the carriers could play a productive role in sea lines of communication (SLOC) protection, which might also allow them to threaten Pakistani lines of communication.

Ho details the problems associated with small-deck carriers, especially the limited number of aircraft to share offensive and defensive missions. The need for self-protection is not entirely problematic; Indian carriers will undoubtedly receive a great deal of attention from potential opponents, drawing resources away from other military operations. Other Indian naval forces could either use this misdirection to conduct offensive operations, or could rely on the defensive umbrella provided by the carriers.

But some core problems remain. Indian naval strategy envisions three operational carrier battle groups undertaking more or less the same tasks. But Indian naval procurement has produced a plan to acquire three carriers with radically different capabilities, meaning that the actual utility of the carrier battle group in crisis conditions will depend upon which carrier is operational at a given time.

We also have no clear idea regarding the reliability of the two existing ships. Vikramaditya is an old Russian hull that underwent controversial late-life transformation into a STOBAR carrier; Vikrant is a purpose-built STOBAR carrier, but will be the largest warship ever constructed in India, with all of the potential reliability issues that this entails. The two ships are similar but not identical, meaning that maintenance and flight procedures will vary in potentially consequential ways. This makes sharing aircraft and pilots a dicey proposition.

Moreover, as Ho notes, the reports we have regarding readiness in the naval aviation program are not great. The MiG-29K has been a carrier aircraft for less than a decade, and has never been subjected to a demanding, up tempo set of combat operations. Anecdotes from the Russian experience do not suggest optimism.

While Vikrant and Vikramaditya will provide important opportunities for learning, the Indian Navy may need to wait for the commissioning of INS Vishal, projected in the 2030s, to have a real offensive capability against Pakistan. By that time, however, the lethality of Pakistan’s A2/AD umbrella may have significantly increased.

Source: What Good Are the Indian Navy's Aircraft Carriers Against Pakistan?
 
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dadeechi said:
Indian Navy's Next Aircraft Carrier To Be Massive 65,000 Tonne Beast With Deadly Firepower And Powerful Fighters
ins_vikramaditya_and_virat_at_sea_1512395028.jpg

INDIATIMES
DECEMBER 04, 2017
1.5K SHARES

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba today said a request for proposal (RFP) is likely to be issued by mid-2018 for the procurement of 57 multi-role combat fighter jets for the Navy's aircraft carrier.
"Hopefully we will be able to issue the RFP by middle of next year," he said.
navy_chief_admiral_sunil_lanba_1512388811_725x725.jpg

BCCL
Four aircraft manufacturers have shown interest in the project.
The Navy chief also said the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC I) will be ready by 2020 and the Navy was looking for deck based combat capable fighter aircraft for it.

He said the naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. cannot operate from deck and that is why the Navy was looking for other options.
"I need a deck based combat capable fighter by 2020 for IAC I. In present state, LCA Navy cannot be operated from deck," he said.
ALSO READ: Oldest Aircraft Carrier In The World, INS Viraat To Be Made A Tourist Spot In Andhra Pradesh
ins_vikramaditya_1512391081_725x725.jpg

PTI
The Navy chief also said that the "form and fit" of the second indigenous aircraft carrier have been finalised and that it will be a 65,000-tonne vessel.
Replying to a question, he said there will not be any financial constraints in procuring 57 new deck based fighter jets.

At the same time, he indicated that declining capital budget for the Navy was a matter of concern. He said he had raised the issue with the defence ministry.

Indian Navy's Next Aircraft Carrier To Be Massive 65,000 Tonne Beast With Deadly Firepower
Click to expand...

@vstol Jockey
I'm assuming we can't use Tejas for the IAC because of deck length limitation. In that case, can't we build a bigger ship with higher tonnes and deck length so that Tejas can be used by using the cost saved by using Tejas for the AC to build the bigger ship, making it financialy feasible or similar to current expense of the 65tonne carrier + foreign fighter.

Bigger tonne longer deck carrier + Tejas = 65tonne AC + foreign fighter.

Can you send letter to naval chief?
 
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