Pic Credit – India TV News
Aircraft Carrier –
An aircraft carrier is a warship that carries military aircraft and has a long surface where they take off and land. Carriers have some facilities like carrying, deploying, arming and recovering aircrafts. These warships are the most important ships for Navy. They are generally the larger ships in comparison to other warships in their respective fleet. It allows a naval force to project aviation worldwide without counting on local bases for staging aircraft operations. Carriers have evolved since their inception within the first twentieth century from wooden vessels used to deploy balloons to nuclear-powered warships that carry numerous fighters, strike aircraft, helicopters, and other types of aircraft.
Present Scenario – 1.The navy currently operates Russian-origin carrier INS Vikranaditya and expects to have the first Indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-1) INS Vikrant operational by 2022.
2.With a second carrier to come in the navy is already evaluating a globe tender for 57 carrier based twin engine fighter aircraft.
Types of Carriers by Configuration
1.COTABAR(Catapult-assisted take off barrier arrested-recovery)
2.STOBAR(Short take-off but arrested-recovery)
3.STOVL(Short take-off vertical-landing)
4.Helicopter Carrier
Active Aircraft carrier of India- INS Vikramaditya
An carrier carrying potent long vary multi-role fighters could also be a platform inherently deigned for power projection.within the most quantity as ‘Gorshkov’ was remodeled to form ‘Vikramaditya’, therefore additionally Vikramaditya can rework the face of the Fleet Air Arm of the Indian Navy.
It is the latest carrier which was inducted in Indian Navy in June 2014. It is modified Kiev-class carrier,and was originally developed as BAKU and was in commission of Soviet Navy as Admiral Gorshkov till 2004 when india purchased it. Final cost of this carrier was $2.35billion.
Facts- 1. It is the largest STOBAR aircraft carrier of The Indian Navy.
2. The refurbished carrier is provided with 234 new hull sections constructed using 2500t of steel. It has an overall length of 284m, a maximum beam of 60m, height of it about 60m and a displacement of 44,500t.
3. The warship features 22 decks and 2,500 compartments, of which 1,750 were completely re-built. It can carry more than 1,600 personnel including crew. Sponsors are installed to increase the breadth at the flight deck.
4.The modernised ship is also equipped with flight deck lighting systems, new AC plants, refrigeration plants, 14° sky jump, 30m wide arrester gears, three restraining gears, and two reverse osmosis plants for producing 400t of water per day.
5.The modifications also included replacement of 2 ,300km of old electrical cables with new cables, upgrades to bulbous bow, and replacement of distilling plants.
6. The ship has the ability to carry over thirty craft comprising Associate in Nursing assortment of MiG 29K/Sea Harrier, Kamov 31, Kamov 28, Sea King, ALH-Dhruv and Chetak helicopters.
7. The ship is given state of the art launch and recovery systems along with aids to change swish and economical operation of ship borne craft. Major systems embody the LUNA Landing system for MiGs, DAPS Landing system for ocean Harriers and deck lighting systems.
8.It is the first Indian Navy ship to have ATM facility. The maximum speed of the warship is over 30kt and can attain a maximum range of 7000nmi.
9. A computer aided action information organization(CAIO) system named LESORUB-E is fitted to supply combat control and direction. The ship is additionally fitted with an automatic Resistor-E radar complex and various subsystems to supply traffic control and approach/landing for carrier based aircraft.
10. For providing better external communication it has the latest CCS MK II communication complex available.
11. On 17 january 2018, It has been formally attached to the Indian Air Force’s 6th squadron and a highly respected and well mannered Bihar regiment.
12. IT is mechanized by 8 new generation boilers, which produce a total power of 180,000sph operating four huge propellers.
Commanding Officers-
1.Captain Suraj Berry (16th nov 2013 – 2nd nov 2015)
2. Captain Krishna Swaminathan (2nd nov 2015 – 20th July 2017)
3. Captain Ajay Kochhar (20th July 2017- 26th may 2018)
4. Captain Puruvir Das (26th may 2018 – present)
Aircraft Component- Squadron/Name/Aircraft
1. INAS 300 / White Tigers / MiG 29KUB
2. INAS 303 / The Black Panthers / MiG 29K
3. INAS 321 / The Angels / HAL Chetak
4. INAS 322 / The Guardians / HAL Dhruv
5. INAS 330 / The Harpoons / Sea King
6. INAS 339 / The Falcons / Kamov KA-31
Future of Indian Aircraft Carriers-
1.INS Vikrant (IAC-1)
IMPORTANT POINTS-
1. The INS Vikrant is the first indigenous carrier design being undertaken by the state of India. it’s one among two planned vessels within the new”Vikrant-class” of surface warships and has seen construction begin in 2009.The Indian Navy’s first indigenous carrier Vikrant is currently under the third
phase of construction.
2. The first indigenous aircraft(IAC-1) is named after India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which was purchased from Britain and decommissioned from The Indian Navy in 1997.
3. INS Vikrant may be a 260 meters long and 60 meters wide vessel displacing 40,000-tonnes. the utmost speed of the ship is announced at 28 knots, with a variety of seven ,500 nautical miles at a speed of 18 knots. INS Vikrant is about to receive an outsized crew complement composed of 160 officers and 1,400 sailors.
4. It will also use STOBAR mechanism to launch and recover the aircraft like INS Vikramaditya.
5. The carrier are going to be ready to accommodate up to 30 fighters and helicopters, including Mig-29K fighters jets and Ka-31 helicopters. The Vikrant are going to be equipped with 4 x 76mm Otobreda dual-purpose cannons and backed by several SAM emplacements.
6. For short-ranged work against incoming aircraft or missiles, a digitally-controlled Close-In weapon (CIWS) are going to be installed. A Selex RAN-40L L-band early warning radar system are going to be a part of the defensive network of sensor and systems processing.
7. INS Vikrant, under construction at Cochin shipyard limited, will be officially inducted into the Indian Navy in 2022.
2. INS Vishal (IAC-2)
IMPORTANT POINTS:
1.A second Vikrant-class carrier INS Vishal with a displacement of over 65,000 tons is planned and likely to be nuclear-powered with COTABAR system to launch and recover heavier aircraft and unmanned combat aircraft. The project is in design phase as of April 2015.
2.This carrier known as indigenous aircraft carrier 2(IAC-2) AND planned to be built by Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Indian Navy. The carrier was expected to enter service by the 2030s.
3.Propulsion: Integrated electric propulsion
4.Aircraft capability: 55 (35 fixed-wing and 20 rotary-wing) (planned)
Retired Aircraft Carriers of India-
1.INS Vikrant(R11)- in service from 1961 to 1997
IMPORTANT FACTS–
1.INS Vikrant (1945) was a Majestic-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. It was built under the name Hercules for British Royal Navy during Worldwar-2, but construction was placed on hold after the war’s end, and she never entered British service. India purchased the unfinished carrier from the UK in 1957, and construction was completed in 1961.
2.INS Vikrant was commissioned as the first carrier of the Indian Navy. Captain Pritam Singh was the first commanding officer of the carrier.
3.Indo-Pak war 1971- She played a major role in enforcing the naval blockade on East Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
The Pakistan Navy deployed the submarine PNS Ghazi to specifically target and sink the INS Vikrant. However, the Ghazi sank off Visakhapatnam harbor probably because of depth charges by INS Rajput (D141).
4.throughout the war, the crew of Vikrant attained 2 Mahavir Chakras and twelve Vir Chakras. It is the only World War II-era British-built aircraft carrier to be preserved as a museum.
5.After years of distinguished service, she was decommissioned in January 1997.
6.From 1997 to 2012, it was preserved as a museum ship in Cuffe Parade, Mumbai, until it had been closed 2012 thanks to safety concerns. In January 2014, the ship was sold through a web auction and scrapped in November 2014 after final clearance from the Supreme Court.
7.Displacement: 19,500 tons ; Overall length: 700ft(210m); Maximum beam: 39m ; Speed: max. 25 knots. The air and ship crew comprised 1,110 officers and men.
Aircraft Squadron-
1.INAS 300 / White Tigers / flying Sea Hawks.
2.INAS 310 / Cobras / flying Alizes. 3.INAS 321 / Angels/ flying Alouettes. 4.INAS 330 / Harpoons / flying Sea Kings.
2.INS Viraat – in service from 1987 to 2016
IMPORTANT FACTS-
1.INS Viraat , a centaur class aircraft carrier weighing 27,800 tons, had served in the British Navy as HMS Hermes for 25years from 1959 to 1984.
2.The centaur class was the light fleet carrier design built for The Royal Navy in closing years of the second world war. After renovation, It is commissioned into The Indian Navy in May 1987.
3.It was decommissioned from the Navy in March 2017 at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.
It is the longest serving war vessel within the world. It holds the Guinness Books of record for this.
4.Viraat has played a major role operation Jupiter in 1989 within the Sri Lankan peacekeeping.
5.It has been instrumental in sharpening the art of flying operations from a carrier deck in the Navy, that resulted in the seamless induction of INS Vikramaditya.
Aircraft Squadron-1.INAS 300/ White Tigers / BAE Sea Harrier
2.INAS 552 / The Braves / BAE Sea Harrier
3.INAS 321 /Angels/ Alouette III; HAL Chetak
4.INAS 330 / Harpoons / Westland Sea King
Source :
Wikipedia
Indian Navy.nic.in
AJAY VIKRAM GAUTAM.