India’s First Vikrant-Class Aircraft Carrier To Be Commissioned By 2019 Indian Navy’s first indigenous Vikrant-class aircraft carrier being built at the Cochin Shipyard Limited will be commissioned by 2019; and the plans to build a second one will be initiated soon, announced Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, at a press conference held on-board the INS Vikramaditya on Wednesday. Vice Admiral Chopra discussed several important matters pertaining to the Indian Navy at its annual interaction with the media held at the massive aircraft carrier. He also hinted at the decommissioning of the over 50-year-old aircraft carrier INS Viraat. “We are in the process of appointing a technical board which will review INS Viraat’s viability,” he said. At any given time, India needs to have at least two aircraft carriers in service. When INS Viraat gets decommissioned, it will become all the more important for the Navy to get another one. Besides this, Navy’s first Scorpion class submarine is also expected to be ready by 2015 and commissioned by 2016. “The Centre has also sanctioned six more submarines and the tenders for the same will be floated soon,” Vice Admiral Chopra added. However, being one of the largest Navies in the world, the Indian Navy is facing a shortage of helicopters. “That issue is being addressed currently with the sanction of 16 helicopters expected to come soon,” he said. Addressing the issue of piracy in international waters on India’s western coast and the obvious threat to mariners, Vice Admiral Chopra said that ever since the problem of piracy began with the fall of the Somalian government in 2008, constant patrolling is being done in the Gulf of Aden. “We have one warship in the Gulf of Aden for patrolling and security purposes. Every merchant ship which crosses the Suez Canal is escorted by a warship to ensure its security,” he said, “Although the problem of piracy is decreasing, we will continue with the stringent patrolling.” In 2009-10, with the Suez Canal having such security issues, merchant ships had changed their course and were sailing via the waters closer to the Indian coast, which has also led to the Navy stepping up its security. The developing economy and increasing trade have also led to an increase in the number of ships coming to the ports on India’s Western Coast, including the fast-developing Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. These and the ever-looming terror threat ever since 26/11 have also prompted the Navy to increase its security here. Vice Admiral Chopra also announced that a few old ships are going to be decommissioned in the near future. However, the Navy is hopeful of increasing its employees, ships, fighter aircrafts and helicopters in the near future.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 09:50:33 +0000
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