In a race to project itself as a war power compared to other nations, India is betting on nationalizing the designs and construction of warships for the country’s Navy.
The ambition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is to become self-sufficient in the sector by 2047 – when India will complete 100 years of independence from the British – and the most visible example is the (victorious or courageous, in free translation from Sanskrit), considered the crown jewel of the country’s Navy.
The ship is considered a milestone in India’s ability to develop its own vessels.
Commissioned in 2022, INS Vikrant was built in the city of Cochin, in southwestern India, facing the Arabian Sea. The project involved more than 660 companies in the country. In total, around 76% of the parts that make up the aircraft carrier are Indian.
The Indian government’s assessment is that nationalizing the design and production of ships as much as possible gives it more leverage to become the preferred partner of other countries in the Indian Ocean region. And, with that, gain military and economic influence. It is called naval diplomacy, with increasingly more complex geopolitical contours.
The Navy’s vision is based on long-term sustainable innovation, the formation of an Indian production chain and the integration of new technologies into naval operations. The strategy also helps to ensure greater operational autonomy, control of production stages and combat readiness.
INS Vikrant was the country’s star performer at this week’s International Fleet Review naval parade in Visakhapatnam, headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command in the Bay of Bengal.
CNN Brasil was on board the aircraft carrier, this Thursday (19), anchored off the coast of the largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
The aircraft carrier operates using the STOBAR (Short Take-off But Arrested Recovery) system. Planes take off with the help of a curved, upward-sloping ramp at the bow, without the need for catapults. To brake and land, they rely on cables on the deck.
In practice, jets can stop in up to 2.5 seconds, at a distance of up to 90 meters.
See some ship data
- capacity to house around 30 aircraft, including jets and helicopters;
- 262.5 meters long;
- 61.6 meters wide;
- 144 to 203.7 meters of track;
- 60 km/h maximum speed;
- 2,278 compartments;
- 648 stairs;
- 2.5 km of capes;
- complete structure for around 1,600 crew members, such as industrial kitchens and laundries, surgery rooms, dentistry offices.
The International Fleet Review ceremony featured dozens of vessels of different sizes, objectives and military power – not only from India, but also from other invited Navies.
Russia, Iran, Japan, France, Australia, South Africa, South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Oman, Myanmar, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh were among the squadrons present.
Brazil did not send vessels, but the Navy’s Commander of Naval Operations, Admiral Eduardo Vazquez, was present at the event.
Currently, it does not have any aircraft carriers due to high maintenance and modernization costs.
*The reporter traveled at the invitation of the government of India.
