2 sea-going aircraft carriers can now berth simultaneously at Karwar in Karnataka

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee 

New Delhi, March 4

Indian Navy’s two sea-going aircraft carriers can now berth at the same time at Karwar in northern Karnataka as a new dedicated infrastructure has come up.

The two sea-going aircraft carriers – INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant – are the biggest warships in the fleet each being close to 50,000 tonnes. The Vikramaditya is 284 metres long while the Vikrant is 262 metres long. The warships need a specific depth of water near the coast and length of jetty needs to math their sizes when they come for routine maintenance. So far, the Karwar base had facility to take in one carrier. The Cochin Shipyard also has facility to berth a carrier, but it is not a naval facility.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the facility that is part of the Phase II-A of the Project Seabird – a specialised Naval base on the west coast – at Karwar.

The Phase II-A works include piers designed to accommodate ships and submarines and collectively provide a berthing space of more than 6 kilometres. It will have technical facilities, electrical substations, switch gears, and support utilities. The Phase II-A also has a covered dry berth, standing at a height of 75 meters, taller than the Qutub Minar in Delhi, spread over 33,000 square meters. This dry berth is designed to facilitate simultaneous docking and comprehensive enclosed maintenance of four frontline warships.

The cabinet committee on security had approval for Phase II-A of the project that was accorded the berthing of 32 ships and submarines.

Phase I of Project Seabird was designed to accommodate 10 ships successfully concluding in 2011. The infrastructure comprised a breakwater, a pier capable of berthing 10 ships, a 10,000-ton ship lift and dry berth, a naval ship repair yard, logistics and armament storage facilities, and accommodation for 1,000 personnel.

Once fully operational, the base would have 50,000 individuals residing in the naval facilities spread over the 25-kilometer expanse.

Meanwhile the Naval Commanders’ Conference is scheduled to commence on Tuesday. The inaugural session will have the defence minister embarking at sea to witness both aircraft carriers demonstrating Indian Navy’s ability to conduct ‘twin carrier operations’.

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