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Vikrant-class Air Defense Ship

India will have its aircraft carrier, built indigenously, to join the elite group of nations capable of designing and building an aircraft carrier. As of 2005, India had only one aircraft carrier, INS Virat and another aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, rechristened as INS Vikramaditya, would join the fleet by 2008.

A plan was announced in 1989 to replace the aging British-built carriers with two new 28,000 ton aircraft carriers. As of 1995 the Indian-designed and Indian-built air-defense ship was proposed as a replacement for India's two aging British aircraft carriers. At that time the air defense ship was projected as being a 17,000-ton vessel capable of carrying between twelve and fifteen aircraft. This was refined in 1997 to a 24,000 ton air defence ship of domestic origin.

With the retirement of the INS Vikrant in January 1997, the Indian Navy had only one carrier. This was set to change with the arrival of the "Admiral Of The Fleet Gorshkov" (formerly "Baku"), purchased from the Russian Navy, and the indigenous Air Defense Ship (ADS). Both these new carriers will be armed by the MiG-29SMTk. The ADS has been redesigned by the Navy to accommodate the Naval variant of the Russian- made MiG-29 fighter along with the Naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which will extend the air superiority and anti-shipping capabilities of the Indian Navy by a large margin.

The ADS is based on a design developed by the Direction des Constructions Naval, a French firm. However, the design has been modified by the Naval Design Organisation to suit the India requirements. GE Marine Engines has a manufacturing and technical license assistance agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) for the assembly, inspection and test of marine LM 2500 gas turbines selected for Indian Navy Frigate and Air Defense Ship programs.

In May 1999 the Government approved the indigenous construction of an Air Defence Ship (ADS) of around 24000 tons displacement at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. (CSL), Kochi. In May 1999 the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, indicated that the manufacturing work on the Air Defence Ship would start in about one year's time.

On 14 June 1999 the Indian Government sanctioned construction of the indigenously designed air defense ship (ADS). The June 1999 Cabinet Committee on Security decision came seven years after the designs were originally conceived. It was reported that the Air Defense Ship would be built at the Cochin Shipyard at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore [ie, Rs.20 billion]. Another Rs.50 million would be spent on expanding CSL's shipyards warehousing space, extending its marshalling yard and acquiring new equipment. The vessel is the largest and broadest ship ever to built in India. At that time CSL Chairman & Managing Director, Commander (retd.) M.K. Murthy said that plate cutting was expected to be conducted by 2003 and the vessel would be ready for sea trials by 2009. The 250-meter carrier would have a displacement of 32,000 tons which makes it almost five times larger than the 6,700-ton INS Delhi, the largest and heaviest warship built in the country so far. The ADS will replace INS Viraat, which was due for decommissioning by 2010. As of 1997 it was projected that the Air Defense Ship (ADS) would be completed in around 8 years, that is around 2005.

Indian press reports of 11 April 2001 announced that the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security (CSS) approved the awarding of a construction contact to Cochin Shipyard for the construction of three Vikrant-class aircraft carriers. The announcement indicated that the carrier -- based on a French design -- would displace more than 30,000 tons.

In 2001, CSL released a graphic showing the 32,000-ton STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) design with a pronounced ski jump. The design of the island and sensor suite was considerably different from a model displayed at Def Expo '99.

As of early 2002 is was reported that the Air Defense Ship would be ready by 2008. But concerns were expressed that the pace of modernising naval shipyards had affected indigenisation. As a result, plans to commission a new air defence ship (small carrier) might not be realised for at least a decade. This would upset India's plans of possessing three air defence ships in the next five years. While one could be the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, the Navy wants to build the other two `smaller' carriers (which would, however, be larger than the present carrier INS Viraat) in the country.

In February 2002, current Chief of Naval Staff - Admiral Madhvendra Singh, stated that the commissioning of the ADS will take eight to ten years since the shipyards had not yet being modernized. It was also revealed that the 32,000-ton ADS design was 250 meters long, capable of speeds of 32 knots with a crew of 1500 personnel.

March 21, 2002 the Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes, in a written reply to Dr. (Shrimati) C. Suguna Kumari and Shri A. Narendra in Lok Sabha, stated that the Navy had reassessed their requirement and have proposed building a larger ADS (approximately 37,500 MT) which was expected to enter service after 2011.

Defence Minister George Fernandes stated in March 2002 that the Navy had reassessed their requirement and proposed building a larger vessel displacing 37,500 tons and measuring 252 meters by almost 57 meters with a speed of 28 knots. It is probable that with a full load, the ADS will exceed 40,000 tons.

The Indian government sanctioned 32 billion rupees (700 million dollars) in 2003 for the first vessel. Long awaited indigenously built aircraft carrier to be known as air defence ship (ADS), was approved by the Government in January 2003. It costs Rs 3261 cr. A provision of over Rs 200 cr has been made towards augmentation of infrastructure facilities from the naval budget to enable Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), Kochi serve the order for an air defence ship (ADS). It is envisaged that the yard would be incurring an expenditure to the tune of Rs 500 cr per year.

The Navy proposed to have at least three carriers, so that one each can be deployed on the West and East coasts, while maintainence on the third can be carried out. The Indian Navy has had two aircraft carriers, operated only the INS Viraat after the INS Vikrant was decommissioned in January 1997.

In March 2004 Defence Minister George Fernandes said that the Indian navy will likely induct its first indigenously built aircraft carrier in 2011. Furthermore, by August 2004, both Defense News and Jane's Defence Weekly were reporting that the Indian Ministry of Defence had awarded a $30 million contract to Fincantieri's Naval Vessel Business Unit to help prepare the concept, design, and implementation plans for the vessel. The Italian company was awarded the contract over DCN International of France, who had originally won the contract for the design study in 1989, and Izac Construcciones Navales of Spain.

This is the most prestigious project which the Indian Navy has taken up so far. The design and construction of ADS is a technical complexity which far outstrip any such challenge faced hitherto by the Indian Navy. It is interesting to note that so far only three countries in the world have built such a large carrier.

Fincantieri, through its Naval Vessel Business Unit, signed two contracts with the Indian shipyard of Cochin; the contracts relate to design and assistance during the construction of a new aircraft carrier, the "Air Defence Ship", for the Indian Navy. One of the most important players in the Indian shipbuilding industry, Cochin shipyard is active in the field of merchant and naval shipbuilding as well as ship conversions and repairs.

The first contract covers assessment of the entire ship's design and responsibility for "propulsion system integration" in addition to providing assistance to the shipyard during installation of the engines and during the successive phase of tests of integration and sea trials. During the development of the design a team of officers of the Indian Navy and engineering experts from Cochin shipyard will work in Italy together with Fincantieri technical staff at the headquarters of the Naval Vessel Business Unit.

The second contract regards the supply of the engineering and detailed design of the ancillary propulsion systems and the ship's main plants. Again, Fincantieri will provide the shipyard with assistance while construction is in progress and during tests and trials.

The two contracts were expected to cover approximately 2 years, although assistance will continue until the trials and delivery have taken place - scheduled to occur by the end of this decade.

As of 2004, the most recent design had SAMs in VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells mounted on sponsons on either beam - the port side is to the aft of the ship while the starboard sponson is to the fore of the ship. Four OTO Melera 76mm Super Rapid dual purpose guns are mounted symmetrically on sponsons along the flight deck- two on the fore section and two at the fantail (stern). Preliminary sensor fit appears to show a Top Plate 3D radar on the mainmast and a large 3D radar antennae of a yet undetermined type, along with the usual SATCOM and Electronic Warfare antennae. CSL will use a modular approach to reduce construction time from nine years to around six to eight years.

This last design iteration shows much influence from the Italian Andrea Dorea Class carrier (currently known as the Cavour Class) in that there is much sloping of the superstructure and ship sides. The vessel will be powered by four HAL-built General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines driving 2 shafts. With a 12 to 14º ski-jump, the carrier has a STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) arrangement on an angled flight deck with 2 aircraft elevators - one before the island and one after. In the STOBAR arrangement, the aircraft lands on the angled-flight deck and is stopped by arrester wires. The air group was projected to consist of at least 12 - and possibly 24 - combat aircraft like the MiG-29K, Sea Harrier and Naval LCA along with 10 or so helicopters of the Sea King Mk.42 and/or the HAL Dhruv. Two Ka-31 helicopters would provide airborne early warning coverage.

This ship can carry a maximum of 30 aircraft and 17 of these can be accommodated in the hangar. The ship will have two runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires. The ship has a length of 252 m, maximum breadth of 58m. draft of 8.4m and a depth of 25.6m. The ship will be propelled by four LM2500 gas turbines generating a total power of 80 MW (120,000HP approximately) thereby enabling the ship to do a maximum speed of 28 knots. The ship will have an endurance of 7,500 nautical miles at 18 knots and the logistic endurance of 45 days.

In April 2005 India began building this indigenously designed aircraft carrier that will take eight years to complete. The keel laying is scheduled in October 2007. The ship is expected to enter service in 2012. The ADS is being built at Cochin shipyard.

April 11 will be remembered a red-letter day in the Indian Navy's quest for indigenous warship construction and significant milestone in the maritime history of modern India. On this day, the construction of India's largest warship project, the first indigenous aircraft carrier designed by India Navy's Directorate of Naval Design (DND), commenced at the Cochin Shipyard with the steel-cutting by Mr TR Baalu, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways in the presence of the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash and Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr Oomen Chandy.

This 252 meter-long ship, displacing over 37,500 tons, will be capable of operating a formidable array of 20 modern fighter aircraft of the MiG-29K, LCA (Navy) and See Harrier Genre and upto to 10 helicopters of different types Its 2.5 acre flight deck, with a maximum width of 58 meters, will enable launch of fighter aircraft using ski-jump for take off and arrester wire for landing on an angled deck. Powered by four LM 2500 gas turbines, generating 80 MW of power, the ship will be able to achieve speeds in excess of 28 knots. Manned by a complement of 1,600 officers and men, she will have an endurance of 7500 nautical miles She will be the first warship to be built with quality steel, developed in India by DRDO and SAIL.

Construction of the Indian ship had been slowed by the non-availability of steel with the specifications required to build an aircraft carrier. The project was delayed because there was a problem of procuring the steel from Russia. The main obstacle had been acquiring 20,000 tonnes of the right standard of steel. The ADS was designed with a certain type of Russian steel in mind, but when it came to actually supplying the steel, Russia was unable to do so. But it resumed when constructors finally got the steel of higher specifications from Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

A second unit will also be built, although likely not delivered until around 2018. A third new carrier could be built, but realistic funding and construction dates are too far into the future to determine.