Vikrant starts integration drill

New Delhi, October 13

Indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant has started integrating with the Navy fleet. Over the next few days, it will undertake a series of drills, which will help the warship transition into an operational vessel to lead the carrier task force.

Vice-Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Western Navy Commander, embarked the warship yesterday to witness the progress of the integration at sea, the Western Command of the Navy headquartered at Mumbai said in a tweet.

The 45,000-tonne warship is carrying on its deck MiG 29K fighter jets. The core of integration will include flight trials to ensure that jets land and take off smoothly under all-weather conditions from the 260-metre-long deck of the warship.

INS Vikrant’s flight deck is STOBAR (short take-off but arrested recovery) configuration with a ski-jump. A fighter jet will approach deck at 240 km per hour. A set of three, ribbed-steel “arrestor wires” — each 1 inch thick — will pop up across the 60-metre-wide deck. The undercarriage of the jet has a tail hook, which gets “arrested” in wires and brings the aircraft to a stop within 90 metres of touchdown.

Once integrated with the Navy, the warship will expand the combat arc of the Navy. INS Vikrant is be powered by four LM2500 gas turbines from US company General Electric and each generates 30,000 horse power.