The Defence Procurement Board (DPB) last week discussed the Indian Navy’s proposal for acquiring a second Vikrant-like aircraft carrier displacing 45,000 tonnes, and estimated to cost of around ₹40,000 crore, according to defence sources. However, the DPB is yet to clear it after which it will be put for final approval by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by the Defence Minister, a source said.
The DPB which met last Friday discussed the issue and they are expected to continue in the next meeting as well, the source said.
The project estimated to cost around ₹40,000 crore and will see some modifications and upgrades to the design of the country’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) INS Vikrant, commissioned in September 2022, and will also be manufactured by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), another source stated.
The 262m long and 62m wide INS Vikrant displacing 44,800 tonnes is powered by four General Electric LM2500 engines which give it a maximum speed of 28 knots and an endurance of 7,500 Nautical Miles. The ship uses an aircraft-operation mode known as Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) for which it is equipped with a ski-jump for launching aircraft, and a set of three ‘arrester wires’ for their recovery onboard.
In addition, the Navy also operates the 44,500-tonne carrier INS Vikramaditya, which also employs the STOBAR mechanism, procured from Russia under a $2.3-billion deal and inducted in November 2013.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Aero India air show in Bengaluru in February, Navy Chief Adm. R. Hari Kumar had said that the Navy is finalising plans to repeat-order a Vikrant-sized carrier, Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-2 (IAC-2), with some modifications. Given the long timelines, it may be inducted “close to the time INS Vikramaditya leaves service effectively becoming its replacement”, he said while adding that the Navy would continue to study the need for a larger and more capable carrier.
The Navy which has for long based its force structure centered around three carriers, had envisaged an IAC-2 with a displacement of 65,000 tonnes and a Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) system for launching aircraft as well as full-electric propulsion.
However, a much bigger carrier with newer technologies would mean much higher cost and build time due to which the Navy has settled for a repeat of a Vikrant-sized carrier. The keel of Vikrant was laid in 2009, launched into water in 2013 and commissioned in 2022. With the experience gained from that, CSL officials had stated that a repeat order can be executed in seven to eight years.
In the past, the Parliamentary Standing committee on Defence had noted that three aircraft carriers is an “unavoidable requirement” to meet any eventualities and stated that taking into account the long coastline and hostile adversities on both sides of Indian peninsula, an aircraft carrier on both sides of coast is “quintessential” to uphold operational requirements.
