light combat aircraft and MiG-29K jets start their flight tests from INS Vikrant

Two fighters, a homegrown light combat aircraft, and a MiG-29K of Russian provenance made their initial landings on the expansive deck of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, on Monday, taking a significant step towards becoming fully operational.
VIEW ALSO

The Navy described the landing of the naval LCA prototype as a “historic milestone” showing the nation’s capacity to “design, build, construct, and operate an indigenous aircraft carrier with an indigenous fighter aircraft.” The 45,000-tonne INS Vikrant was commissioned in September of last year.

The indigenous twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF), whose development will take at least ten years, is a forerunner to the single-engine naval LCA, a technology demonstrator that the Navy claims cannot operate efficiently from a carrier.

When the MiG-29Ks successfully complete the essential trials from her flight deck, which is similar to two football fields with an angled ski jump, by May or June, INS Vikrant, the largest-ever warship to be built in India for around Rs 20,000 crore, will afterward be fully combat-ready.

---

Read Also – Victoria Gowri, Is Sworn In As A Judge, The Supreme Court Dismisses A Petition

---

The fighters from INS Vikrant made a simple landing and takeoff on Monday

It will take 3–4 months to complete the complex fighter flight tests in their entirety. However, the majority of the helicopter tests and weapon firings are finished, an officer stated.

For almost three years, India has been without a functioning aircraft carrier. The older, 44,500-ton INS Vikramaditya, which the United States paid $2.33 billion to purchase from Russia more than ten years ago, has yet to go into service following a significant refit and maintenance cycle.

The lack of sufficient fighters to operate from the two carriers is another obstacle for the Navy. 40 of the 45 MiG-29Ks that were imported from Russia between 2009 and 2010 cost $2 billion, and their serviceability is also an issue.

India is currently seeking to sign a massive multi-billion contract for 26 foreign soldiers in a government-to-government arrangement as an “interim solution.” According to a December TOI article, the French fighter Rafale’s marine variant has taken the lead in this competition over the American F/A-18 Super Hornet.

But as of yet, the long-standing operational necessity for a third aircraft carrier remains a pipe dream. Due to financial limitations, the Navy is currently putting the finishing touches on the initial case for a “repeat order” of INS Vikrant rather than a more powerful 65,000-tonne carrier.

In stark contrast, China is currently building its fourth aircraft carrier quickly after ‘launching’ its third carrier, the over 80,000-tonne Fujian, in June of last year. China already has the largest navy in the world with 355 vessels and submarines.

China already has seven to eight warships, submarines, and spy ships stationed in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) permanently, in addition to assisting Pakistan in developing a strong navy and searching for new logistical bases there. Therefore, it won’t be long before China starts sending carrier battle groups into the IOR as well.