INS Vikrant undocked

Kochi: India on Wednesday undocked its first indigenously-built aircraft carrierINS Vikrant at a simple ceremony at Cochin Shipyard Limited here.

The ship, built at CSL, will undergo a series of fitment and trial processes before it is ready for propulsion and inducted into the Navy, CSL officials said.

India's largest aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant's induction into the Navy will be done after a series of static and dynamic trials, they said. The successful completion of the 40,000 tonne aircraft carrier puts India in the elite group of four nations - the US, Russia, the UK and France - in the world capable of designing and constructing aircraft carriers. The basic design of the indigenous aircraft carrier was done by the Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design, which was developed into detailed design by the design team of CSL.

The ship has a length of over 260 metres and breadth of 60 metres. It has two take-off runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires, capable of operating STOBAR aircraft including the indigenous LCA, as well as a range of helicopters with hangar facilities. Major outfitting work of the ship will be done now. Later basin trials and extensive sea trials will be undertaken prior to delivery to the Navy, the CSL officials said.