Nuke-powered aircraft carrier on the anvil
After developing its own indigenous nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant, India may consider the option of developing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier which then will be the second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-II) to be built indigenously by the country.
The first “indigenous” aircraft carrier — that will be launched on August 12 this year — will use diesel as its fuel. India is understood to be in the final stages of taking a decision on construction of its second indigenous aircraft carrier and the fuel to be utilised by it. When asked whether the second indigenous aircraft carrier to be built by the country could be nuclear-powered, top naval sources said, “All options are being considered.”
For now however, the launching of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier on August 12 is the priority. Launching refers to lowering the vessel into water. Operationalisation of the first indigenous aircraft carrier — named INS Vikrant after India’s first aircraft carrier that was phased out a few years ago — and induction into the Indian Navy is expected to take another five years (end of 2018). “With this project, India has joined the select club of nations capable of designing and building 40,000 tonne aircraft carriers,” the Navy said on Thursday. Countries such as the United States, Britain, Russia and France are part of this elite club. The IAC will also help the country tackle China’s increasing naval capabilities and footprints in the Indian Ocean region. Both the Russian-origin MiG-29 K and the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft will operate from the IAC.
India is already acquiring the Admiral Gorshkov (INS Vikramaditya) from Russia by this December after re-fitting, and this will be its second current aircraft carrier after the INS Virat. The IAC, therefore, will be a further valuable addition since the INS Virat could be de-comissioned after a few years.
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