Indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant undocked in Kochi

India’s maiden indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was on 10 June 2015 undocked at the Cochin Shipyard in Kochi, Kerala.

The structural work of the ship was completed and undocking was part of the second phase of work on the carrier, which is expected to be complete by 2017.

Key Features of INS Vikrant

• It is India’s largest and first indigenous aircraft carrier.
• Its basic design was done by the Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design, which was developed into detailed design by the design team of the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
• On the completion, it weighs around 40000 metric tonne and will have a length of over 260 metres and breadth of 60 metres.

• It has two take-off runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires, capable of operating STOBAR aircraft including the indigenous LCA, as well as a range of helicopters with hangar facilities.
• It will undergo basin trials in 2017 and is expected to be inducted into the Navy by 2018 end.

Upon its induction, the aircraft carrier puts India in the elite group of four countries in the world viz., USA, Russia, the UK and France that are capable of designing and constructing aircraft carriers.

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