STATE TIMES NEWS
KOCHI: The fourth phase of sea trials of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant has been successfully completed on Sunday, the Indian Navy said. IAC Vikrant, which left the Cochin Shipyard on July 2, undertook integrated trials of the majority of equipment and systems onboard including some of the aviation facilities complex equipment, the Navy said. “The ship’s delivery is being targeted at the end of July 22, followed by commissioning of the ship in August 22 to commemorate ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’,” the Navy said in a release.
Maiden sea trials of the IAC were successfully completed in August last year, followed by the second and third phases in October last year and January this year respectively.
“During these three phases of sea trials, endurance testing of propulsion machinery, electrical and electronic suites, deck machinery, lifesaving appliances, ship’s navigation and communication systems was undertaken,” the Navy further said.
The IAC designed by Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND) is being built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a public sector shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
With the delivery of the IAC, India would join a select group of nations with the capability to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier.
The 40,000 tonne warship is built at a cost of around Rs 23,000 crore. The IAC is 262 metres long, 62 metres wide and it has a height of 59 metres. Its construction began in 2009.
