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| India-Pakistan |
| Indian aircraft carrier set for induction in 2014 |
| 2009-02-24 |
| Two years behind schedule, the indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) is expected to be delivered to the Navy by 2014. Under construction at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), the first part of the aircraft carrier will be ready in 2010 after which the giant ship will float. Subsequently, the warship would be taken to another dock where the remaining part of the work would be completed over the next four years, naval sources said. Once completed, India will only be the fourth country after the US, Russia and France to indigenously design and construct an aircraft carrier of 40,000 tonnes class. While the 14-storied IAC’s initial tonnage was 37,500 tonnes, it had been upwardly revised to 40,000 tonnes in the updated design. From bow to stern, the ship’s overall length is 260 mt and it will have a maximum speed of 28 knots. The formal keel-laying function marking the beginning of ship assembly will take place on Saturday in the presence of Defence Minister A K Antony and Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Kumar. The carrier will have a mixture of 30 aircraft – MiG-29K and naval version of LCA as well as Ka-31 helicopters. However, the naval LCA is still on the drawing board and will take years before it can be accommodated on board IAC. “Since a carrier has a life of 50 years, foreseeable changes in aviation are taken into account. The requirements for naval LCA like a longer runway were considered while designing the IAC,” said a navy officer. Specialised steel for the carrier is being supplied by the Steel Authority of India Ltd. Seventy per cent of the design was carried out by engineers at the Naval Design Bureau. The navy also sought consultations from Italian firm Fincantieri and Russian war ship builders. “Russian expertise was sought in the aviation space as the on-board fighters are Russian planes,” said a navy officer. A bitter and acrimonious debate between the navy and CSL in the past had led to a five-year delay in the project. However, the navy has provided Rs 200 crore to the CSL to augment the shipyard’s infrastructure, including bringing in heavy cranes. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #3 ION CV's, WAFF > LARGE OIL SPILL LINKED TO AT-SEA REFUELING OF ADMIRAL KUZNETZOV. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-02-24 19:42 |
| #2 But it's the same size as the french nuke carrier and the same size/concept as the one India is buying from the Russians. A good first effort that the Chinese haven't been able to accomplish yet. Let's what the next carrier looks like and whether it is full featured. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-02-24 19:33 |
| #1 40,000 tn and 260m? Nice little boat they got there by comparison... Nimitz Class: Displacement: 78,280 tons light 101,196 tons full load Length: 1,040 ft (317 m) waterline 1,115 ft (340 m) overall Beam: 134 ft (41 m) waterline 257 ft (78 m) extreme Draft: 40 feet (12 m) |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2009-02-24 19:19 |