[1]While China commissioned its first aircraft carrier Liaoning on Tuesday, experts believe that India would be able to integrate INS Vikramaditya into its Navy much quicker than it took for the Chinese.
While the delivery of a renovated Admiral Gorshkov, renamed INS Vikramaditya, to India has been delayed by five more months due to defective brick-lining in a few boilers inside the ship, the Navy is confident of getting it inducted soon.
The 45,000 tonne displacement aircraft carrier built in Russia is expected to reach India by July next year.
A Navy official said the crew in India already have experience of running an aircraft carrier and a MIG-29 fighter squadron is ready to take position on board the ship.
In China’s case, it is not clear if they have the aircraft ready and the pilots too need to be oriented on flying at sea, which is a difficult task.
Further, the sensors and weapons need to be tested and according to the Navy official, it might even take anywhere between two to five years to run the carrier.
“There is nothing to get alarmed on China commissioning an aircraft carrier.
We are already well established and we have trained men and plane squadron ready to operate from an aircraft carrier,” said Commodore Amar K. Mahadevan, Naval officer-in-charge, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He said the Indian Navy is already a recognised force.
Further, the indigenously built aircraft carrier named after country’s first de-commissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, is expected to be ready by 2018.
It is expected to be a replacement for the ageing INS Viraat, while also acting as an air defence ship, a senior official at the Cochin Shipyard said.
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