New Delhi: With the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, INS Vikrant is set to give the much-needed firepower to naval forces. With INS Vikrant’s induction, India joins the exclusive club of nations like US, USSR, England, France & China, to have home-grown aircraft carriers.
Now, the Indian Navy has two aircraft carriers – INS Vikramaditya and INS Virkant, both giving an ultimate boost to country’s maritime defence. The addition of INS Vikrant in naval feet couldn’t have come at a much better time as China has been getting aggressive and enhancing its presence in the Indian Ocean.
In terms of numbers, China still stays ahead of India. The China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has 3 aircraft carriers as compared to India’s 2 giant vessels. The three aircraft carriers of Chinese naval forces are named —Fujian, Shandong and Liaoning.
How INS Vikrant will add teeth to Navy?
The Indian Naval forces are elated & thrilled over the commissioning of INS Vikrant as it will not only enhance maritime power by manifold but will also go a long way in fulfilling its quest for becoming a ‘blue water navy’.
As the aircraft carrier makes for the most potent weapon, the Navy will have the flexibility to operate and secure India’s borders from a very long distance.
With INS Vikrant’s entry, India will have the flexibility to deploy an aircraft carrier on each of the conflicted borders, Eastern and Western.
India vs China in Ocean
INS Vikrant is an advanced & giant vessel but comparing it with China’s latest aircraft carrier Fujian is not an ideal comparison, say maritime experts.
Vikrant uses ski-jump take off mechanism for launching aircrafts while Fujian has catapult technology that enables launch of heavier aircraft with higher payload.
Moreover, according to the World Directory of Modern Military Warships (2022), United States is the only country with a true blue water navy. In terms of ranking, China comes second on the Global Naval Powers Ranking list while India is ranked 7th.
India’s 2 Vs China’s 3 aircraft carriers
Currently, India has 2 aircraft carriers. However, the Indian Navy has been insisting for a third aircraft carrier as this will enable the Navy to man the nation’s borders with efficiency.
Chinese navy has 2 operational aircraft carriers while a third one is set to join the forces soon. A fourth one is also in the pipeline.
