INS VIKRAMADITYA

Subject: Defence

Context: The Navy Chief’s views revived the discussion among the forces on whether India needs a third aircraft carrier – apart from INS Vikramaditya and the under-construction Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC 1).

Concept:

• INS Vikramaditya is the country’s most powerful aircraft carrier.
• It was built in 1987 and had served the Soviet navy (named as Baku). It was later renamed Admiral Gorshkov under the Russian navy.
• The Indian navy purchased the vessel in 2004 and commissioned it in November 2013 at Severodvinsk in Russia.
• It can carry over 30 aircraft comprising MiG-29Ks, Kamov-28s, Kamov-31s, ALH-Dhruv and Chetak helicopters.
• It was retrofitted with a Barak missile system under joint development with Israel.
• It is based at its home port at Karwar in Karnataka.