INS VIKRANT: India's First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier will Only Be Operational by End of 2023

INS VIKRANT: India's First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier will Only Be Operational by End of 2023

INS Vikrant, the Indian Navy's first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-1 (IAC-1), the 43,000-tonne warship won't be fully operational until the end of 2023, despite the fact that the commissioning of INS Vikrant Aircraft Carrier-1 (IAC-1), in next week is unquestionably a major and historic feat. Highlights The 43,000-tonne warship will only be fully operational by end 2023, the navy says. The induction of MiG-29K fighter jets and exploitation of its Aviation Facility Complex (AFC) will follow after Vikrant's formal commissioning. Admiral Ghormade stated as much, when he declared at his presser that though Vikrant had been designed for the MiG-29Ks, 'evaluation' was underway to select the 'right' deck-based fighter as a stop gap or interim measure till the TEDBF was ready in 5-7 years, but declined to name the platforms under appraisal for pro-tem acquisition. Designing a carrier around the MiG-29K, that the navy internally had deemed operationally deficient, and acqu…