The Indian Navy’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) INS Vikrant is set to commence basin tests next month following the fitting of systems and equipment.
The Indian Navy’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) INS Vikrant is set to commence basin tests next month following the fitting of systems and equipment.
Basin trials of INS Vikrant are expected to start next month.
The New Indian Express reported sources in the navy as confirming that the harbour trials have completed.
This marks a major step in the manufacture of the aircraft carrier.
Basin trials are carried out to establish the propulsion, transmission and shafting systems that can be tested in waters.
Following the sea trials scheduled to place during the end of this year, Vikrant will be inducted by the end of the year.
The original timeline of the IAC was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to a halt in operations.
In January this year, Vikrant was under the third phase of construction.
The 40,000t IAC Vikrant is capable of accommodating MiG 29K fighter jets and helicopters. The 260m-long and 60m-wide carrier is the largest ship being built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, India.
The Indian Navy has planned to deploy INS Vikrant in Vizag in the state of Andhra Pradesh on the eastern seaboard.
Along with the MiG-29K aircraft, the future INS Vikrant was displayed as part of the navy’s parade on the country’s Republic Day.
INS Vikramadithya is currently the only operational carrier.
In January this year, the naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) completed its maiden arrested landing on the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
Development came after the LCA Navy completed extensive trials on the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF).
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