INS Vikrant Achieves 1000 Successful Safe Arrested Landings

India’s INS Vikrant aircraft carrier has completed 1,000 successful and safe arrested landings, the carrier said in an official post on X on Tuesday.

“From first-light launches to late-night recoveries – 1000 traps strong INS Vikrant achieves 1000 successful and safe arrested landings, marking a testament to relentless teamwork and combat readiness,” the post said.

An arrested landing involves a fighter jet catching arrester wires on the flight deck, allowing it to stop within seconds on the moving carrier at sea.

Commissioned on 2 September 2022, INS Vikrant is India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier. Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, the 45,000-tonne carrier operates on the Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) system using a ski-jump for launches and arrester wires for recoveries.

The ship can host up to 30 aircraft, including MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R, Chetak and Advanced Light Helicopters. It accommodates around 1,600 personnel and is powered by four gas turbines, enabling a maximum designed speed of 28 knots.

Comprising 76% indigenous content, the project involved more than 550 OEMs and 100 MSMEs. In March 2025, the carrier evacuated injured crew from MV Heilan Star, 230 nautical miles west of Goa.

The 1,000 “traps” reflect sustained day-and-night flight operations and the coordination between pilots, deck crews and ship staff during carrier deployments.