INS Vikramaditya boosts carrier centric 'blue-water' capability: Admiral Joshi

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral D.K. Joshi on Tuesday said that the recent commissioning of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has further bolstered the carrier- centric 'blue-water' capability of the Indian Navy.

"Vikramaditya bridges the time gap between Indian Navy's existing capability and our indigenous aircraft carrier project. Vikrant launched recently, is expected to be commissioned around 2017," he told media here today.

He further said that the recent induction of P81 Boeings has ushered in a new era for Navy's air surveillance, and standoff attack capabilities "With recent induction of Hawk AJTs, naval aviation is undergoing a qualitative transformation,' he added.

The 2.3 billion dollar aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was inducted into the Indian Navy on November 16.

INS Vikramaditya is a Kiev class aircraft carrier that was commissioned by the Russian Navy in 1987 under the name, Baku. It was later renamed as Admiral Gorshkov and last sailed in 1995 in Russia, before being offered to India.

The 44,500-tonne warship with a length of 284 metres will have MiG-29K naval combat aircraft along with Kamov 31 and Kamov 28 anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance helicopters.

After years of negotiations, an agreement to hand over the ship to India was inked in 2004 after retrofitting.

The aircraft carrier will have more than 1,600 personnel on board, a complement of indigenously-built ALH Dhruv choppers and Sea King helicopters, besides state-of-the art weaponry, including MiG-29K naval combat aircraft and Kamov 31 and Kamov 28 anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance helicopters.