India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant commissioned

INS Vikrant, India’s first home-built aircraft carrier, was today formally commissioned after completing almost a year of sea trials. The 45,000-tonne warship has been built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore.

The aircraft carrier was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Cochin Shipyard. During the same event, PM Modi unveiled the new Naval Ensign.

At 262 meters long and 62 meters wide, INS Vikrant is the largest warship to be built in India. It can have 30 aircraft on board, including MiG-29K fighter jets and helicopters. The warship can accommodate a crew of nearly 1,600.

The warship was in the works for over a decade. Multiple phases of sea trials of INS Vikrant have been completed since August 21 last year. Aviation trials will be held after the navy has its command.

Meanwhile, PM Modi also talked about the reforms that the government is bringing in the defense sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new Naval Ensign (Nishaan) today in Kochi during a ceremony for the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant.

According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the new ensign has “done away with the colonial past… befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage”.

The old ensign of the Navy was a white flag with horizontal and vertical red stripes, symbolizing the Cross of Saint George, with the emblem of India superimposed on the intersection. The tricolor is placed in the upper canton next to the staff.

The new ensign has completely removed the nation’s colonial past. Also, the naval crest depicting an anchor has been added besides certain color changes.

This is the fourth time since 1950 that the Naval Ensign would undergo a change.

On 26 January 1950, when India became a republic, the Navy Crest and flags were duly ‘Indianised’. However, the latter retained a touch of the British legacy; the Red St. George’s Cross, though the Union flag was replaced by the tricolor.