INS Vikramaditya the First Indian Aircraft Carrier to Get Operational by the End of January 2023

INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant will help India to secure the eastern seaboard from Africa to the Australian west coast

Written by: Arjita Gupta

Edited by: Krutarth

Last Updated: January 18, 2023

INS Vikramaditya, India’s first aircraft carrier is going to join the Karwar Naval base by the end of January 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to address in March the Combined Commanders Conference, where the hulk of battleship will be the center of attention. Sea trials will begin soon along with that for INS Vikrant, its successor leaving an impact in the Indo-Pacific waters. INS Vikramaditya is weaponized with Russian MiG-29K fighters onboard.

As for INS Vikrant, a landing of maritime LCA and test case scenario is also being considered this year. With US F-18 and French Rafale-M, a decision to bring forth 8 trainers and 26 maritime strike fighters for INS Vikrant will also take place. The Indian Navi submitted to the Defence Ministry the trial reports for the two operational aircraft carriers. The Modi government will assess the performance of the battleships and then finalize its call.

Both the carriers will remain on the western coast of India until the huge war machines find a place on a jetty at the eastern seaboard of Vishakhapatnam. But the aircraft carriers may be accommodated on a jetty at Kattupalli Port in north Chennai as the Indian Navy is planning to lease it with another jetty at Campbell Bay of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant will empower Indian national security.

Plans are in motion as the strike forces will go well beyond the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal to India-Pacific and even further. The Indian Ocean could be patrolled by three aircraft carriers of Chinese Navi by 2025, the two war machines will play in defense and deepen cooperation with PLA Navy and other major naval giants in the region.

The Indian Ocean is already being mapped by the PLA strategic surveillance vessels including the five ingress straits and 90-degree ridge to South China for maritime operations in the future. India has also been offered by Beijing naval cooperation for the littoral states surrounding the Indian Ocean. They have a proposal to gift the country off-shore patrol vessels the same that was offered to Seychelles. INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant will help India to secure the eastern seaboard from Africa to the Australian west coast.