By Praful Bakshi
It was welcome news for those concerned with national security, especially the maritime one, that INS Vikrant 2, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier had successfully completed its five-day sea trial or its maiden sea voyage. Built at a cost of Rs 23,000 crore, it finished sea trials ahead of its planned induction by August 2022.
As the current international scenario around India unfolds itself, specially related to the offensive posture by China against practically all neighbouring countries along the South China Sea and the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region, the stellar role played by aircraft carriers will be much in evidence.
Alongside various warships from Asia, Europe and America, namely the USS Ronald Regan, USS Nimitz and the British HMS Queen Elizabeth, this has sent a strong message to China.Along with 100 combat planes carrying nuclear-powered floating air fields,it is obvious these carriers mean business.
In the history of modern wars starting from the latter half of World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Indo-Pak War,1971, Gulf War and present conflicts, it is the presence of an aircraft carrier which more often than not dictates the outcome. Countries howsoever powerful have to cow down to the air power unleashed at them from aircraft carriers of their enemies.
This includes the successful Japanese Pearl Harbour operation against the American Fleet, the sinking of British battle ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse off the coast of Singapore, leading to the downfall of the British against the Japanese and the American victory at the Battle of Midway, Battle of Coral Sea and Battle of Leyte Gulf against the Japanese fleet. Both German and Russian navies, boasting of powerful and heavybattleships during WWII, had to relent under the far-reaching prowess of aircraft carriers.
While land and sea boundaries are clearly marked cartographically and protected by fighting assets of the army and navy respectively, they need an air envelop by a dedicated force called the Air Power. Navies generally have their own dedicated air power called the Fleet Air Arm When the Navy sails beyond the national territory or Extended Economic Zones of 200Km to protect the nation’s economic and war interests, air power is needed.
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These flying assets or combat aircraft are carried on specially made ships which have the capability to launch, receive, repair, maintain, refuel and rearm the planes for the next mission for an extended period of months as the war situation demands. These are called aircraft carriers.
Launching of flying platforms to bomb enemy towns or ships dated back to the late 1700s when Austrian naval ships launched balloons to drop explosives on Venice. But the aircraft carrier came into being during WWI when the British Navy converted HMS Argus into an aircraft carrier by putting a make-shift flight deck on it and successfully launching an aircraft. However, the war ended before HMS Argus could see any action. Not surprisingly, the US and Japan were quick to learn and the Americans successfully introduced USS Langley to join the US fleet in March 1922, followed by Japan which introduced its carrier Hosyo in December 1922.
By the end of WWII, jet fighters were being introduced to operate from aircraft carriers, thus bringing in further additions to accommodate heavier and faster jets. Innovations like steam-powered catapults for launching high-speed jets, angled flight decks for take-offs and mirror landing system, providing precession in high speed landing at all times, were added to accommodate the latest aviation platforms.
Perhaps the most important of all the developments was the introduction of nuclear energy to propel massive aircraft carriers. This was witnessed on September 24, 1960, with the introduction of the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise. Aircraft carriers now carried an assortment of planes and helicopters to conduct different types of operations.
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In 1961, the first aircraft carrier was introduced in the Indian navy when it purchased the incomplete HMS Hercules from the UK in 1957. It was completed in1961 to be commissioned as INS Vikrant. This ship gave an excellent account of itself during the 1971 war in enforcing a naval blockade against East Pakistan. Vikrant was decommissioned in 1997.
Vikrant was followed by INS Virat, once again purchased from Great Britain as HMS Hermes, and served the nation from 1987 to 2016. Then followed a Russian 45,000-ton aircraft carrier called Gorshkovin 2014 and christened as INS Vikramaditya. This lone carrier of the Indian Navy can carry 26 MiG 29ks, 10 Kamov Ka31 AEW&C helicopters and Ka 28 anti-submarine helicopters. It has a 14-degree ski jump to facilitate high speed take off.
The Indian Navy is now in the process of inducting the new 40,000-ton Vikrant 2, equipped with ski jump built by Cochin Shipyard. Like any newly built ship, it will have to complete a number of trials. These are various tests to confirm the strength of the hull and functioning of the mechanical and electrical systems as per the required standards.
These trials are in three phases. The first is the dock trial—testing the machine while still in the dock.The second is builders’trial, done at sea by the builders/contractors who built the ship. The third is the acceptance trial, which is conducted at sea and on shore by government officials. All faults noted are rectified before accepting the ship.INS Vikrant, after all trials, should join the fleet by mid-2022.
Discussion of aircraft carriers would be incomplete without mentioning their use in a region dominated by China and Pakistan; they too are modernising themselves aggressively. Besides this, there is a very serious threat in South China Sea, which has got India involved.
In a conventional war with Pakistan, keeping in mind distances in a sea battle, aircraft carriers Vikramaditya and Vikrant would give a good account of themselves, both from the angle of endurance and range. Not to forget the range and performance of the MiG-29Ks onboard. However, the limitations on load-carrying capacity of a MiG-29k in strike mission can be a concern. For this, a number of other fighter aircraft have been considered like the FA-18 or the F35. Even the Swedish SAAB had proposed Grippen and it has been under consideration. With the carrier version of Rafael, this problem can be obviated.
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The carrier-led Indian fleet in the Indian Ocean Region is better placed to carry its operations than any other navy primarily due to its closeness to its own bases on the eastern as well as the western coast.
Coming to China, though India had taken a lead in the naval aviation sector by fielding its aircraft carriers much earlier, i.e. 1957, China is fast catching up. This is especially due to its more-efficient ship-building sector and it getting its second aircraft carrier ready. China has two aircraft carriers—Liaoning and Shandong—with a third one under construction. It is termed as Type 03 and would be its biggest aircraft carrier. By the 2030s, China plans to field five or six aircraft carriers.
Hence, India has to plan aggressively and is doing so with the building of a third carrier, INS Vishal, a 65,000-ton CATOBAR (Catapult operated and barrier arrested)-equipped vessel, fully supported by American technology. This would include operating E2C Hawkeyes, and F35 fighters, which may meet the Make in India requirements.
Even in the case of the new Vikrant, 550 Indian firms, including close to 100 MSMEs, are registered with Cochin Shipyard, providing various services for its construction. INS Vishal would be capable of operating 35 fighters and 20 helicopters. Plans are afoot to equip it with Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles and fixed wing anti-submarine aircraft.
India has obviously joined the big league now.
—The writer is a military analyst and air accident investigator