Indian military says first domestic aircraft carrier will enter service by the end of 2021 or early 2022
New Delhi, December 2 Anil Kumar Chola, commander of the Southern Command of the Indian Navy, announced on the 2nd that India’s first domestic aircraft carrier, Vikrant, has entered the final stage of construction and will enter service in late 2021 or early 2022.
Anil Kumar Chola said at a press conference held at Kochin Naval Base that India plans to conduct maritime tests on the aircraft carrier Vikrant in the first half of next year and carrier-based aircraft take-off and landing tests in the second half of next year.
It is reported that the aircraft carrier Vikrant successfully conducted its first mooring test at the Cochin Shipyard on November 30 to test the aircraft carrier’s propulsion, power transmission and bearing systems.
The design of Vikrant began in 1999 and was officially launched in August 2013. The ship was designed by the Indian Naval Design Bureau and built by Cochin Shipyard. The ship is about 260 meters long, 60 meters wide, with a displacement of about 40,000 tons.
It can carry about 30 carrier-based aircraft, a top speed of 28 knots, and a sustainable voyage of 8,000 nautical miles.
