Flagship of the Indian Navy

The maritime history of India dates back many centuries, when navigation was an art in the Indus Valley civilization. The roots of the Indian Navy can be traced to 1612. By 1945 the Royal Indian Navy had a strength of 25,000 officers and sailors. Today the Indian Navy has a fleet of almost 150 ships and submarines, alongside 300 aircraft. The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is the flagship and pride of the Indian naval fleet. She is an advanced aircraft carrier that is capable of launching both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. This colossal ship is like a floating island, bestowed with an array of defensive weapons systems including torpedo tubes, missile systems and artillery units. She can carry a mix of 35 to 40 aircraft and helicopters as per mission requirements.

The Indian Navy has operated aircraft carriers since 1961. These vessels included INS Vikrant and INS Viraat. The new aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has increased the carrier capability and reach of the Indian Navy. INS Vikramaditya derives her name from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘as brave as the sun’. Amidst much aspiration INS Vikramaditya was commissioned on November 16, 2013, in Russia. She was designed and built at the Black Sea Shipyard in Russia. A MIG 29 aircraft was initially used to check her deck systems.

The first Indian naval officer to command this aircraft carrier was Commodore Suraj Berry. After her commissioning INS Vikramaditya engaged in a 26-day continuous voyage covering 10,212 nautical miles sailing to India. During this long voyage she made a short stop at Lisbon. Along the voyage the vessel was escorted by INS Trikand and the naval tanker INS Deepak. The robust destroyer INS Delhi subsequently joined the convoy at sea.

The four ships reached the Indian naval port, and were received by the elated naval fraternity. The entry of INS Vikramaditya was celebrated as a golden day in the history of the Indian Navy. The Prime Minister of India formally inducted the vessel into the Indian naval fleet on June 14, 2014, amidst much naval pomp and decorum.

Today she operates from her home port at INS Kadamba, Kawar under the command of Captain Praveen Nair. Her well trained officers and sailors diligently sail under the motto of ‘Strike far. Strike sure.’ This formidable vessel has a displacement of 45,600 tons. The superstructure is bestowed with 22 decks. INS Vikramaditya has a length of 284 metres and a width of 61 metres. When cruising, she can reach a speed of upto 30 knots. It is interesting to note that this vessel is propelled by eight turbo pressurized boilers (four shafts - four steam turbines) which generate 180,000 horsepower. She has a deep sea patrolling range of 13,500 nautical miles. INS Vikramaditya has a complement of 100 officers and 1,500 sailors. The vessel has a sea endurance of 45 days.

In January 2016 the INS Vikramaditya made her first overseas port visit when she sailed to Colombo Harbour, escorted by the INS Mysore. During this time the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka visited the warship. In 2018, she made a goodwill visit to the Maldives.

INS Vikramaditya has been fitted with modern launching systems for her aircraft. The officers and sailors can truly take pride in operating the STOBAR system. The crew represents the Executive Branch (Direction Team), Logistics Branch (cooks, stewards, stores sailors), Engineering Branch (flight deck engineers for maintenance of the Arresting and Restraining gear) along with artificers and mechanics who work in the boiler room, Electrical Team (Air Electrical Officer) and the Aviation Branch made up of Carrier Control Approach Officer, Air Operation Officer, Flight Deck Officer and Air Electrical/Air Engineer Officer.

This magnificent warship has 22 decks. There are 1,200 compartments, along with 120 cabins for the crew with 65 mess areas for the officers and sailors. The ship has 10 decks located below the flight deck level. Life onboard is interesting for all crew. INS Vikramaditya maintains a three-watch system during normal cruising. Advanced sensors and electronics enable the ship to engage in flight operations by day and night.

How does the crew of 1,600 have their meals? The ship has three kitchens (naval term is ‘galley’) which have automated machines that turn out chapatti and thosai. At each meal the cooks use these machines to turn out 5,000 chapatti. Rice boilers cook the rice for the large crew. Every day the crew consumes 4,500 cups of tea and coffee. In addition this warship has a modern bakery. The crew has recreation rooms to play sports. Cash can be withdrawn from an onboard ATM. The ship has a 32-bed hospital with a modern ICU and Dental Unit.

The Indian Navy has its own active air arm. The naval air arm can engage in sea to air combat, anti-submarine warfare, surface attack and search and rescue missions. Onboard the INS Vikramaditya its trusted aircraft is the MIG 29K (Black Panthers/ White Tigers), which is an all weather, multi-role fighter. This fighter is a navalized version of the MIG 29M. The air frame and undercarriage have been reinforced to withstand the stress of landings. This aircraft has folding wings and an arrester hook. The MIG 29K can also conduct aerial refueling. The fighter has the capacity for laser-guided and electro-optical bombs. Pilots can discharge air-to-surface missiles and air-to-air missiles. The vessel has its own Meteorological Unit onboard who monitor and release weather reports to facilitate safe flight operations.

INS Vikramaditya can also engage in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) by deploying its aggressive Sea King and Kamov-28 helicopters. The Sea King chopper can drop homing torpedoes. This is further augmented by the presence of the Kamov-31 helicopter which is used for AEW (airborne early warning) tasks. This helicopter has a speed of 250 KMPH and a range of 600 km. Whilst at sea the guarding of this massive vessel is undertaken by the HAL Chetak helicopters. Another commendable feat was achieved by the Indian military in January 2020. The indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft successfully made its first landing and takeoff from the flight deck of INS Vikramaditya.

Flight operations are conducted onboard and are coordinated by the Flight Control Room (FCC) under the supervision of the Captain (Air) of the ship. He is assisted by the Flight Deck Officer (movement of aircraft) and Flight Deck Electrical Officer (regarding equipment). The Air Direction Room is supervised by the Direction Officer. INS Vikramaditya operates as part of a Strike Group with three or five frigates and destroyers. The ships are equipped with lethal air defence weapons. How does a pilot land on a ship? The carrier is fitted with arresting cables on the deck, using three arrester wires spaced 12 metres apart. The pilot has only 24 metres length to grab the wire when landing. For example, the takeoff of the MIG 21 aircraft takes place using just 120 metres of runway. The restraining gear once released enables the aircraft to accelerate using its kinetic energy. There are two lifts that bring the aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck. INS Vikramaditya carries 12,000 tons of fuel. She is fitted with eight boats to respond to any emergency at sea.

The Indian Navy has always had cordial bonds with the Sri Lanka Navy. The Indian Navy has trained Sri Lankan Navy officers and sailors over the years, wherein 50 percent of the training slots to foreign trainees are subscribed to the Sri Lanka Navy. Every year 75 officers and 225 sailors from Sri Lanka train in India (following 85 different courses) at the premier naval institutions including the Indian Naval Academy for cadets, INS Shivaji and INS Valsura for technical training, mid-career courses at Kochi, higher defence management at Hyderabad and National Defence College, New Delhi. The INS Vikramaditya sails with pride and courage. The Indian Navy remains watchful and fully equipped to safeguard India’s maritime interests.