Today is Navy Day, a day on which we celebrate the achievements and role of our Naval force. And, the biggest weapon in our naval prowess is no doubt our only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
One cannot ignore the largest warship in India’s fleet and the only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. INS Vikramaditya, which was acquired from Russia, entered into service with the Indian Navy in 2013. Named after Vikramaditya, a legendary emperor of Ujjain, the warship was purchased by India on 20 January 2004.
Throughout its long journey, INS Vikramaditya is being accompanied by INS Trikand, a Talwar class Frigate, INS Delhi, a Delhi class destroyer and INS Deepak, the fleet tanker. The biggest ship of Indian Navy is 284 metres long and 60 metres high. It weighs 40,000 tonnes and is the biggest and heaviest ship operated by the Navy. It is a modified Kiev class aircraft carrier.
INS Vikramaditya was first commissioned by Russian Navy in 1987 under the name Baku. It was later renamed as Admiral Gorshkov. In 2004, India agreed to buy it from Russia for $974 million. However, the cost kept shooting up as Russia delayed the delivery by over five years. The warship carries around 1500 naval personnel onboard at a time, which often increased to 2000 when the ship sets sail.
INS Vikramaditya was commissioned on 16 November 2013 at a ceremony held at Severodvinsk, Russia. On June 14, 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inducted the warship into the Indian Navy and dedicated it to the nation.
Capable of detecting enemy ships in a 500-kilometre radius, the aircraft carrier is fitted with air-surveillance radar, missiles and gun machines. It is also fitted with modern communication systems and microwave landing system which enables fighter aircrafts to operate from it even in difficult weather conditions. And thanks to its enormous proportions, INS Vikramaditya is no less than a mammoth fortress on sea - a virtual floating city.
Our Bureau
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