Cochin Shipyard Limited completes refit of Indian Navy’s Aircraft-Carrier INS Vikramaditya one Month Ahead of Schedule

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has successfully completed the refit of the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, one month ahead of schedule.

The aircraft carrier was drydocked in September this year at CSL to undergo repair work scheduled for 70 days.

CSL appointed IIT Chennai to conduct a detailed dock floor strength analysis to verify the feasibility of CSL dock to accommodate the vessel.

“It was all about human endeavour, team spirit, passion, nation building and Indian pride.”

CSL Ship Repair Division general manager Rajesh Gopalakrishnan said: “Till INS Vikramaditya docked in Cochin Shipyard and water was pumped out of the dock and we had her sitting safely, there was a real concern on whether India could do it.”

CSL chairman and managing director Madhu Nair added: “It was all about human endeavour, team spirit, passion, nation building and Indian pride. CSL literally moved heaven and earth and burnt the midnight oil to complete the task entrusted to us by the Indian Navy and that too way ahead of schedule.”

Commissioned into the Indian naval fleet in 2014, the short-takeoff arrested-recovery (STOBAR) aircraft carrier was procured from Russia for $2.33bn.

Powered by eight new-generation steam boilers, the 44,500t carrier has a length of 284m, a 60m beam and can operate at a speed of 32k, with a range of over 7,000nm.

The aircraft carrier is equipped with sensors and launch and recovery systems, eight SS-NX-26 Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles, a new 130mm gun mount system and Medvedka-2 ASW, in addition to Hurricane medium-range air defence missile systems.

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