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| India-Pakistan |
| Work begins on India's first home built aircraft carrier |
| 2009-02-28 |
| KOCHI: India on Saturday laid the keel of the country's first aircraft carrier here, heralding the coming of age of the Indian Navy as a maritime power. Speaking at the Cochin Shipyard Ltd, Defence Minister A.K. Antony described the occasion as a "historic moment for India". "It is a crucial milestone and a moment to cherish in the country's maritime history." The yard began steel cutting for the project in April 2005, after the government sanctioned the design in January 2003. The planned ship will be 260 metres long and 60 metres wide and will be propelled by two LM2,500 gas turbines that will enable it to attain speed of over 28 knots. It will also have two runways and a landing strip and carry a maximum of 30 aircraft. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #15 Aircraft carriers are very vulnerable and i can count by the fingers in one of my hands that number of times a missile was intercepted in War by an anti-missile. So anti-missile is not a proven technology. Now aircrafts carriers are also the best ships to protect and project( or better put less worse). Indian ship is based in Italian Conte Di Cavour http://digilander.libero.it/shinano/Italia/Conte%20di%20Cavour/foto.htm |
| Posted by: Large Snerong7311 2009-02-28 19:15 |
| #14 And remember the Western doctrine about carrier escorts : when they run out of defensive missiles, the destroyers literally put themselves in the path of the oncoming missiles aimed at the carrier. The Navy figures that destroyers, cruisers, and frigates are much more replaceable that carriers. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2009-02-28 16:59 |
| #13 I think the Arleigh Burke class DDGs carry 36 Patriots and 64 Sea Sparrows each. Most CVNx are equipped with Phalanx and Sea Sparrow for close-in defense. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-02-28 16:52 |
| #12 Depends. Its escorts carry a lot of them. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2009-02-28 15:00 |
| #11 How many anti-missile missiles does an aircraft carrier carry? |
| Posted by: gorb 2009-02-28 14:51 |
| #10 An aircraft carrier is just a huge target for modern antiship missiles. I've no idea why developing nations insist on building them - useless white elephants. Well, the anti-missile defenses we have prove you wrong. It takes a massive force with a massive launch to get past the defensive screen nowdays. The soviets could afford the ships, planes and missiles. The Chinese can, but other nations can't. So, they can fire a couple of anti-ship missiles at a carrier, watch them get shot down, and then have enemy planes bombing your coast anyway. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2009-02-28 13:13 |
| #9 Because they're extraordinarily useful for power projection. Nothing like a floating air base you put where you want it. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-02-28 12:07 |
| #8 An aircraft carrier is just a huge target for modern antiship missiles. I've no idea why developing nations insist on building them - useless white elephants. |
| Posted by: gromky 2009-02-28 09:57 |
| #7 Not much into the navy, ships and the like but it would appear a bow approach is out of the question? :( |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-28 07:33 |
| #6 According to the Indian journalist Shiv Aroor But it is now clear that while Cochin Shipyards will build three aircraft carriers in the current 37,500-ton category (the second and third are to be christened INS Viraat and INS Vishaal apparently), design work has already begun in earnest to develop and build two more aircraft carriers with not only much larger displacements, but possibly nuclear propulsion as well. |
| Posted by: john frum 2009-02-28 07:26 |
| #5 artist's impression of the home built Indian carrier (INS Vikrant) |
| Posted by: john frum 2009-02-28 07:24 |
| #4 India probably has more engineers and scientists than USA, gromky. Plus, an ace up their sleeve. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-02-28 07:10 |
| #3 In other news, here is the INS Viraat (formerly HMS Hermes) under repair in Kochi (Cochin), Kerala |
| Posted by: john frum 2009-02-28 07:06 |
| #2 Humble beginnings. Anyone remember the chain-drive Honda coupe? |
| Posted by: gorb 2009-02-28 06:59 |
| #1 Is this like when Homer Simpson tried to build an aircraft carrier? Because that was funny. |
| Posted by: gromky 2009-02-28 06:36 |