Context

The nation’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1) is to be commissioned in September.

About

Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1: Vikrant

• IAC Vikrant is the largest warship to have ever been built in India.
• It is also the first indigenously designed and built Aircraft Carrier for the Indian Navy.
• IAC Vikrant is 262 m long and 62 m wide and displaces approx. 43000 T when fully loaded, having a maximum designed speed of 28 Knots with an endurance of 7500 NM.
• Designed by the Indian Navy's in-house Directorate of Naval Design (DND)and built by the CSL, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
• It is capable of carrying more than 30 assorted aircraft including combat jets and helicopters.
• The ship will be capable of operating 30 aircraft including MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 Air Early Warning Helicopters, MH-60R Seahawk multi-role helicopters, as well as the Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) built by Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, and the indigenously manufactured Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy).
• The carrier is equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment and systems.
  • It boasts a fully-fledged state-of-the-art medical complex with the latest medical equipment facilities including major modular OT, emergency modular OT, physiotherapy clinic, ICU, laboratories, CT scanner, X-Ray machines, dental complex, isolation ward, and telemedicine facilities.
    
    

Proposed carrier:

• Since 2015, the Navy has been seeking approval to build a third aircraft carrier for the country, which, if approved, will become India’s second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-2).
• This proposed carrier, to be named ‘INS Vishal’, is intended to be a giant 65,000-tonne vessel, much bigger than both IAC-1 and the ‘INS Vikramaditya’.