Vizag all set to become the base for INS Vikrant

ISAKHAPATNAM

Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) ‘Vikrant’, will be commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kochi on September 2. And if everything goes as per the plans, then Eastern Naval Command in Visakhaptanam, will be its main base in about one year’s time.

As of now India has two aircraft carriers – one being INS Vikramaditya, which is based at Karwar on the western coast and other is the newly built INS Vikrant, which will be based on the eastern coast, with Visakhapatnam being its home port.

Post launch, INS Vikrant will be undergoing exercises and trials further to hone its capabilities and operational abilities on the western coast close to Kochi, as it was built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.

Once fully ready, it will be based in Visakhapatnam, with Chennai being its second port.

As of now there is no dedicated berth to house a ship the size of Vikrant in Visakhapatnam, which is about 262 m long and 62 m wide and displaces around  43000 T when fully loaded. But as per sources, a berth is being built to accommodate the ship and for which a DPR is already said to be ready.

Sources say that there will be two berths- one each at Visakhapatnam and Chennai.

INS Dega, the naval airfield, is already the base for carrier-based MIG 29k, which is the primary fighter aircraft onboard both the aircraft carriers, until the deal for the new fighter aircraft is finalised by the Union Government.