Indian Navy's First Made-In-India Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant To Start Sea Trials From Next Month

Set to augment the Indian Navy's might and capabilities, the country's maiden indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) will begin its sea trials next month and will be commissioned into service of the Eastern Naval Command as INS Vikrant by mid-2022, reports The Print.

The carrier had completed its basin trial in November 2020 successfully. Thereafter, the integration of a number of other navigational, communication and operational systems was also undertaken.

The focus of the upcoming sea trials of the carrier will be the 'move' component of the ship to see how the vessel fares in the water. And if all goes as per the plans during the trials, the carrier will likely be commissioned by the middle of 2022.

Being built at a cost of approximately Rs 24,000 crore, the carrier will have a displacement of 40,000 tonnes. Once commissioned, the 262 metres long carrier will be the most potent sea-based asset of the Indian Navy.

It will have as many as 35-40 aircraft on board which will include naval fighter jets, anti-submarine helicopters and also naval UAVs.