Cochin Shipyard - Upcoming Ventures

Upcoming Ventures

Cochin Shipyard is currently building India’s first indigenuous Aircraft Carrier. The Vikrant class aircraft carrier (formerly, the Project 71 "Air Defence Ship" (ADS)) are the first aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy to be designed and built in India. The Vikrant class carriers will be the largest warships built by CSL.

Work on the lead vessel of the class started in 2008, and the keel was laid in February 2009. The first carrier of the class was expected to enter service by 2012, but was delayed by a year reportedly due to the inability of Russia to supply the AB/A grade steel. This led to SAIL creating facilities to manufacture the steel in India. In August 2009 the military purchasing publication Defence Industry Daily reported that the in-service date had slipped to at least 2015.

The keel for the lead vessel of the class, INS Vikrant, was laid by the defence minister A.K Antony at the Cochin Shipyard on 28 February 2009. The ship will use modular construction. A total of 874 blocks will be joined together to speed up the building process. By the time the keel was laid, 423 blocks weighing over 8,000 tons, were completed.

The vessel launched in 2012 when it completed some 20,000 tonnes, including the hull, as it cannot be launched at a higher displacement from the building bay. After about a year’s development in the refit dock, it will be launched again when all major components and everything underwater would be in place. Only outfitting would then remain. As per the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) plan, sea trials were initially planned to commence in 2013, with the ship to be commissioned in 2014. But, it was reported by the that the construction of the Vikrant has been delayed by 3 years, and the ship would be ready for sea trials in 2015 and commissioning by 2017

The order for the second aircraft carrier in the series is expected to be placed by 2010. The second carrier is planned to be inducted into the Indian Navy by 2017. The second aircraft carrier is said to be of higher tonnage of above 50,000 tons and will utilise steam catapults. A 65,000-tonne IAC-II is on the drawing board. ‘‘It will be much bigger and capable of operating fighters, AEW (airborne early-warning) aircraft, tankers etc,’’ Admiral Verma said.