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INS Vikramaditya
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INS Vikramaditya
INS Vikramaditya (lit. 'Valour Comparable to the Sun') is a conventionally powered STOBAR aircraft carrier currently serving as the flagship of the Indian Navy. It is a modified Kiev class aircraft cruiser purchased from Russia and entered into service in 2013.
Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet Navy and later with the Russian Navy (as Admiral Gorshkov) before being decommissioned in 1996. After years of negotiations, the carrier was purchased by India on 20 January 2004. The transformed ship completed her sea trials in July 2013 and first naval aviation trials in September 2013.
Vikramaditya was commissioned on 16 November 2013 at a ceremony held at Severodvinsk, Russia. On 14 June 2014, the newly elected Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, formally inducted Vikramaditya into the Indian Navy.
Baku entered service in 1987, renamed Admiral Gorshkov in 1991, but was deactivated in 1996 because she was too expensive to operate on a post-Cold War budget. This attracted the attention of India, which was looking for a way to expand its carrier aviation capabilities. On 20 January 2004, after years of negotiations, Russia and India signed a deal for the sale of the ship. The ship would be free, while India would pay US$800 million for the upgrade and refit of the vessel and an additional US$1 billion for the aircraft and weapons systems. The navy looked at equipping the carrier with the E-2C Hawkeye, but decided not to. In 2009, Northrop Grumman offered the advanced E-2D Hawkeye to the Indian Navy.
The deal also included the purchase of 12 single-seat Mikoyan MiG-29K "Fulcrum-D" (Product 9.41) and four dual-seat MiG-29KUB aircraft (with an option for 14 more aircraft) at US$1 billion, six Kamov Ka-31 "Helix" reconnaissance and antisubmarine helicopters, torpedo tubes, missile systems, and artillery units. Facilities and procedures for training pilots and technical staff, delivery of simulators, spare parts, and establishment maintenance on Indian Navy facilities were also part of the contract.
The upgrade involved stripping all the weaponry and missile launcher tubes from the ship's foredeck to make way for a "short take-off but arrested recovery" (STOBAR) configuration, converting the Gorshkov from a hybrid carrier/cruiser to a pure carrier.
The announced delivery date for INS Vikramaditya was August 2008, allowing the carrier to enter service just as the Indian Navy's only light carrier INS Viraat retired. While Viraat's retirement had been pushed out to 2010–2012, she underwent a final refit, enabling her to serve through 2016.
The delay issues were compounded by ongoing cost overruns, leading to high-level diplomatic exchanges. India finally agreed to pay an additional US$1.2-1.5 billion for the project, doubling the original cost. However, ongoing difficulty with Vikramaditya's delivery schedule pushed the expected delivery to 2013. Also, the indigenous Vikrant-class aircraft carrier was delayed by at least a year and was expected to be commissioned in 2013 from the proposed 2012.
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INS Vikramaditya
INS Vikramaditya (lit. 'Valour Comparable to the Sun') is a conventionally powered STOBAR aircraft carrier currently serving as the flagship of the Indian Navy. It is a modified Kiev class aircraft cruiser purchased from Russia and entered into service in 2013.
Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet Navy and later with the Russian Navy (as Admiral Gorshkov) before being decommissioned in 1996. After years of negotiations, the carrier was purchased by India on 20 January 2004. The transformed ship completed her sea trials in July 2013 and first naval aviation trials in September 2013.
Vikramaditya was commissioned on 16 November 2013 at a ceremony held at Severodvinsk, Russia. On 14 June 2014, the newly elected Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, formally inducted Vikramaditya into the Indian Navy.
Baku entered service in 1987, renamed Admiral Gorshkov in 1991, but was deactivated in 1996 because she was too expensive to operate on a post-Cold War budget. This attracted the attention of India, which was looking for a way to expand its carrier aviation capabilities. On 20 January 2004, after years of negotiations, Russia and India signed a deal for the sale of the ship. The ship would be free, while India would pay US$800 million for the upgrade and refit of the vessel and an additional US$1 billion for the aircraft and weapons systems. The navy looked at equipping the carrier with the E-2C Hawkeye, but decided not to. In 2009, Northrop Grumman offered the advanced E-2D Hawkeye to the Indian Navy.
The deal also included the purchase of 12 single-seat Mikoyan MiG-29K "Fulcrum-D" (Product 9.41) and four dual-seat MiG-29KUB aircraft (with an option for 14 more aircraft) at US$1 billion, six Kamov Ka-31 "Helix" reconnaissance and antisubmarine helicopters, torpedo tubes, missile systems, and artillery units. Facilities and procedures for training pilots and technical staff, delivery of simulators, spare parts, and establishment maintenance on Indian Navy facilities were also part of the contract.
The upgrade involved stripping all the weaponry and missile launcher tubes from the ship's foredeck to make way for a "short take-off but arrested recovery" (STOBAR) configuration, converting the Gorshkov from a hybrid carrier/cruiser to a pure carrier.
The announced delivery date for INS Vikramaditya was August 2008, allowing the carrier to enter service just as the Indian Navy's only light carrier INS Viraat retired. While Viraat's retirement had been pushed out to 2010–2012, she underwent a final refit, enabling her to serve through 2016.
The delay issues were compounded by ongoing cost overruns, leading to high-level diplomatic exchanges. India finally agreed to pay an additional US$1.2-1.5 billion for the project, doubling the original cost. However, ongoing difficulty with Vikramaditya's delivery schedule pushed the expected delivery to 2013. Also, the indigenous Vikrant-class aircraft carrier was delayed by at least a year and was expected to be commissioned in 2013 from the proposed 2012.
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