By Shuchi Giridhar
New Delhi, August 5: The INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC), set out for its sea trial on 4th August 2021. A sea trial is the testing period of a new ship, submarine, watercraft, or boat. It can last from a few hours to many days. The preparedness of the ship’s propulsion and power generation equipment and system was tested as part of the Basin Trials in November 2020. Until now, India’s only operational air craft carrier is the INS Vikramaditya.
The INS Vikrant is 262 meters long, 62 meters wide, and 69 meters high. There are fourteen decks, and the ship has over 2,300 compartment made for 1,700 people including special cabins for female officers.
The ship has a high degree of automation in machinery operation, survivability and ship navigation. It has a top speed of around 28 knots (a knot is unit of speed expressed in nautical miles) and a cruising speed of 18 knots with a resistance of 7,500 nautical miles. The name Vikrant in Sanskrit means courageous and the motto of the ship is “Jayema Sam Yudhi Spardhah” which is taken from the Rigveda and is translated to “defeat those who fight against me”. The INS Vikram was constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Indian Navy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congratulated Cochin Shipyard Limited as making the aircraft carrier is a setting example of the Atmanirbhar India initiative.
Image from Twitter of @indiannavy