NEW DELHI, India: India has fundamentally reshaped the strategic balance of the Indo-Pacific with the full operationalization of the INS Vikrant, the nation’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier (IAC-1). Commissioned in 2022, this 45,000-tonne leviathan a testament to over 76% Made-in-India components is the undisputed centerpiece of a potent Carrier Battle Group (CBG), projecting India’s aspirations as a credible Blue Water Navy.
The Vikrant’s strategic significance was recently underscored by its forward deployment during Operation Sindoor, a clear signal of naval readiness. As a mobile fortress, its presence in the Arabian Sea, particularly off the Makran coast, is designed to give the Indian military overwhelming superiority in any potential conflict scenario.
Lethal Capabilities and Defence Systems
The carrier’s war-fighting capabilities and technological specifications include:
• Vikrant employs a STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) system.
• Its air wing capacity 30+ aircraft (MiG-29K fighters, MH-60R Romeo ASW helicopters).
• INS Vikrant can initiate precision cruise missile strikes and enforces naval blockades to choke enemy’s supply lines.
• It features advanced AESA radar and VLS (Vertical Launch System) for Barak 8 SAMs. Its own VLS ensures self-sufficiency against aerial threats, independent of the CBG.
A little look into Vikrant’s offensive capabilities compiled with its CBG can tell anyone what could have happened during Op Sindoor if Pakistan had chosen not to initiate ceasefire talks. As per official reports, Vikrant and her escorts were all in position to wipe out all Pakistani naval assets deployed in the Arabian Sea and inflict immeasurable damage to Pakistan’s oil refineries, again only if the adversary had chosen to escalate it further.
Beyond its military might, the construction of the INS Vikrant is a triumph of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiative and a strategic national investment:
• The $3 billion project created an unprecedented shipbuilding ecosystem.
• The project engaged over 500 indigenous vendors and 100+ MSMEs.
• Helped generating over 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.
• it’s construction fostered expertise in specialized warship-grade steel and modular construction.
• Vikrants successful completion and deployment sets the foundation for faster, more precise indigenous carrier builds.
When the INS Vikrant sails, it enforces a doctrine: The Indian Ocean is India’s Ocean.
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