INS Vikramaditya
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This article contains information about an as-yet unfinished ship.
It may contain preliminary or speculative information, and may not reflect the final version of the ship.
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Chernomorskiy yard, Nikolayev |
| Laid down: | December 1978 (as Admiral Gorshkov) |
| Launched: | April 17, 1982 (as Admiral Gorshkov) |
| Commissioned: | 2012 (Sea trials in 2010) |
| Fate: | Refurbishing, prior to delivery |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 45,000 tons full load |
| Length: | 273.1 m overall |
| Beam: | 31.0 m |
| Draught: | 8.2 m |
| Propulsion: | 4 shaft geared steam turbines, 140,000 hp |
| Speed: | 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| Endurance: | 13500 miles at 18 knots |
| Armament: | 8 CADS-N-1 Kashtan CIWS |
| Aircraft carried: | 16 MiG-29K HAL Tejas Sea Harrier 6 Ka-31 'Helix' HAL Dhruv |
INS Vikramaditya (Sanskrit: विक्रमादित्य, Vikramāditya) is the new name for the former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which has been procured by India, and is estimated to enter service in the Indian Navy after 2010.
The Vikramaditya is a modified Type 1143 Kiev class aircraft carrier built in 1978-1982. The ship is presently being extensively refitted at Sevmash shipyard in Russia. It is projected to replace India's only aircraft carrier, INS Viraat.
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[edit] Purchase
On January 20, 2004, after years of negotiations, Russia and India signed a deal for the sale of the ship, the then-Admiral Gorshkov. The ship was free, while India will pay US$800 million for upgrade and refit of the ship, as well as at least an additional $1bn for the aircraft and weapons systems. The Navy looked at equipping the carrier with the E- 2C, but decided not to.
The deal also includes the purchase of 12 single-seat MiG-29K 'Fulcrum-D' (Product 9.41) and 4 dual-seat MiG-29KUB aircraft (with an option for 14 more aircraft)$1bn, 6 Kamov Ka-31 "Helix" reconnaissance and anti-submarine 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 are also part of the contract.
Upgrade plans involve stripping all the weaponry and missile launcher tubes from the ship's foredeck to make way for a Short Take-Off But Assisted Recovery (STOBAR) configuration. This will convert the Gorshkov from a hybrid carrier/cruiser to a pure carrier.
The announced delivery date for INS Vikramaditya was August 2008, an ambitious schedule, but one that would allow the carrier to enter service in 2009, around the time as light carrier INS Viraat (formerly HMS Hermes, last of the Centaur class) was scheduled to retire. The new ship will berth at the new Indian Navy facility in Karwar, on India’s west coast. The INS Viraat’s retirement is now set for 2010-2012, but even that may not be late enough, as slow negotiations and steadily-lengthening delivery times will push delivery of the Gorshkov back to 2010 at the earliest. Reports of delivery in 2012 or later have surfaced, even as the delivery date for India’s indigenous carrier appears to be slipping back well beyond 2013.
There are 2 major concerns in India. One is that slipping timelines could easily leave India without a serviceable aircraft carrier. The other is the extent of the cost increases, especially if more increases are added once India has paid for most of the budgeted work and is deep into the commitment trap. The carrier purchase has now become the subject of high level diplomacy, involving a shipyard that can’t even execute on commercial contracts, and an agreement in principle that has yet to be finalized into a contract.
It was rumoured India was offered to buy USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) aircraft carrier for free–provided the Indian Navy will agree to purchase 65 of the newest model Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to be operated off of it. The carrier is to be decommissioned in 2008, but rejected the proposal.
[edit] Operation
The ship will be operated in a STOBAR configuration, with a 14.3 degree ski-jump on the bow and three arrestor wires on the stern of the angled deck. This will allow operation of MiG-29K "Fulcrum" and Sea Harrier aircraft. The maximum take off length for the Mig-29K on the Vikramaditya will be between 160-180 meters.
Because of the short runway and the lack of steam catapults on the Vikramaditya, the MiG-29K will only be able to take off safely at maximum engine power in full afterburning mode. Moreover, it is very unlikely that the MiG-29K will be able to take off with a full payload and maximum fuel tanks. When used in the air-to-ground or long range/endurance air-to-air scenario, this will be a severely limiting factor for the MiG-29K. It also seems highly unlikely that both launches and landings will be able at the same time on the Vikramaditya, another limiting factor.[citation needed]
The nature of its original design, however, means that INS Vikramaditya will still fall short of comparably-sized western counterparts like the FNS Charles de Gaulle nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, with its 40-plane complement that leans heavily to fighter jets. Ranges given for the refitted Vikramaditya seem to average 12-16 fighters and 4-16 of the compact Ka-28/31 helicopters; diagrams seem to suggest total stowage space for a “footprint” of no more than 15-16 MiG-29Ks, with each Kamov helicopter sporting a comparative footprint of about 0.4, and about 5-6 open footprint spots on deck.
[edit] Status
All reconfiguration work is being completed at Severomorsk, Russia; however it has been delayed by three years due to underestimating the amount of cabling needed and will be commissioned by 2011-12.[1] An expert level discussion on technical and financial matters is held between India and Russia to sort out the issues.[2] The 16 Mig-29K/KUB fighters will be delivered by June 2008.[3] A compromise was finalized and India will pay an extra amount. Russia will install new systems instead of repairing the old ones and the carrier will be delivered in 2010. Then it will begin an eighteen month sea trial before it is commissioned in to the Indian Navy in 2012.[4]
[edit] Naming
"Vikramāditya" is Sanskrit for "Strong as the Sun"[5] and was the title of some of the most famous kings in Indian history, such as the Vikramaditya of Ujjain, famed as a noble ruler and a mighty warrior. It is also a title that was used by the Indian king Chandragupta II who ruled between 375-413/15 AD.
[edit] References
- ^ The U.S. tries to shut Russia out of India's defense market
- ^ Only few technical, financial issues pending on Gorshkov deal
- ^ India, Russia finalise new deal on Gorshkov
- ^ India, Russia end spat over Soviet-era aircraft carrier
- ^ Literally Vikramaditya translates as having "Strength (vikram) of the Sun" (aditya). The component "āditya" (sun) literally means "he who belongs to Aditi".
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Bharat Rakshak's note on the INS Vikramaditya
- Photos, models & information at Worldwide Aircraft Carriers
- India to get revamped aircraft carrier from Russia (Part 1)
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