India launches new aircraft carrier as concerns over China grow

India has commissioned its first home-built aircraft carrier as it seeks to counter China’s much larger and growing fleet of warships and also expand India’s indigenous ship-building capabilities.

The INS Vikrant, whose name is the Sanskrit word for “powerful” or “courageous,” is India’s second-largest operational aircraft carrier and joins the Soviet-era INS Vikramaditya that was bought from Russia in 2004 to defend the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.

Designed by the Indian navy and built in the Cochin Shipyard in southern India, the new 262-metre (860-foot) INS Vikrant was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday as part of the country’s commemoration of 75 years of independence from British rule.

More than just adding to the country’s naval capabilities, Modi stressed the importance of India now being only one of a handful of nations with an indigenous aircraft carrier production programme.

“It’s a historic day and landmark achievement,” Modi said. “It’s an example of the government’s thrust to make India’s defence sector self-reliant.”

The carrier is the largest warship to be built in India, and can carry a crew of about 1,600 and operate a fleet of 30 aircraft, including fighter jets and helicopters, the navy said.

Agencies