India to Start Construction of Second Aircraft Carrier in Three Years: Navy Chief

India is likely to start the construction of its second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-II) in three years, Indian Naval Chief said Monday.

Speaking on the eve of Navy Day, the Chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba said, “Case for a second IAC has received necessary impetus, though it is still a decade away. Construction would be spread over 7-10 years. We will see the start of construction in three years,” The Hindu reported Monday.

The Navy envisages IAC-II to have a displacement of 65,000 tonnes and use a Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery (CARTOBAR) for launching aircraft.

INS Vikrant weighs 40,000 tonnes and works on a Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) mechanism  with an angular ski-jump. The carrier will be able to accommodate up to 40 aircraft including Russian-made MiG-29K Fulcrum fighter jets, Kamov Ka-31, HAL Dhruv, or Westland Sea King helicopters. The carrier’s hangar can accommodate up to 17 aircraft, while the remaining planes can be stored on the flight deck.

India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant has entered its final phase of construction at Kochi shipyard and will commence sea trials in 2020, Lanba said.

The new carrier designated as IAC-1, is the first carrier class to be designed and built in India under IAC program that was officially launched in August 2013; and relaunched in June 2015. It is reportedly slated for induction into service with Eastern Naval Command in the same year.