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New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent this year’s Diwali on board an Indian Naval ship, with which he has shared a close relationship for the last three years. He commissioned the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited on September 2, 2022.
This is a symbol of the growing strength of the country’s indigenous manufacturing and a major milestone achievement in the path of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
Incidentally, the Prime Minister had also unveiled the new Naval Ensign at the same event, shunning the colonial past.
He dedicated the new flag to Chhatrapati Shivaji.
“I remember when INS Vikrant was being handed over to the nation, I had said that Vikrant is huge, huge and magnificent,” he recalled on Monday, October 20. India’s talent, influence and commitment in the 21st century.”
Reiterating those words, he reminded on Monday: “The day India got the indigenous INS Vikrant, our Indian Navy abandoned a key symbol of colonial subjugation.”
And referring to the ensign, he said: “Inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, our Navy adopted a new ensign.”
The launching of INS Vikrant was a proud moment, placing India among the select few countries with the unique capability to design and build indigenous aircraft carriers.
The vessel has been designed by the in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) of the Indian Navy and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a public sector shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
INS Vikrant is built with state-of-the-art automation features and is the largest ship ever built in India’s maritime history.
It is 262.5 meters long and 61.6 meters wide, has a maximum speed of 28 knots, has about 2,200 compartments, designed for a crew of about 1,600 men and women.
The ship is capable of operating 30 aircraft, which include indigenously developed Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy) besides MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multi-role helicopters.
Using a new aircraft-operation mode called Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR), INS Vikrant is equipped with a ski-jump for launching aircraft and a set of ‘arrestor wires’ for their recovery onboard.
Using such methods, MiG-29 fighter planes took off in broad daylight and darkness of night and landed on short runways in a display of India’s air power.
“Witnessed an awe-inspiring air power demo on INS Vikrant, showcasing precision and skill,” the Prime Minister posted on social media.
Chetaks bearing the national flag and naval ensign, multirole MH 60 ‘Romeo’ and versatile Kamov 31 helicopters along with fixed-wing aircraft like Dornier and P8I as well as fighter jets like MiG-29K also participated in an impressive flypast.
The naval strength of the Western Fleet was also displayed in the waters, comprising aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, destroyers INS Surat, INS Mormugao, INS Chennai, INS Imphal, INS Kolkata, frigates INS Tushil, INS Tabar, INS Teg and INS Betwa, tankers INS Deepak and Warships including INS Aditya were participating in the exercise.
–IANS
JB/PGH