Context: 

The naval variant of the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) landed on the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, marking a milestone towards the Navy’s self-reliance plans. 

Image Source: India Today

About INS Vikrant

• The carrier has a top speed of around 28 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of about 7,500 nautical miles.
• It is 262 metres long, 62 metres wide and has a height of 59 metres.
• The ship is powered by four gas turbines totalling 88 MW power and has a maximum speed of 28 Knots.
• Vikrant uses the Short Take Off but Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) model with a ski-jump for launching aircraft. 

History of INS Vikrant:

• It was the first-ever aircraft carrier that was operated by the Indian Navy.
• The ship was officially laid down in 1943, and was being built for the Royal Navy as HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship) Hercules when the construction was put on hold after World War II ended.
• The construction work was completed and the ship was commissioned in the Indian Navy as INS Vikrant in 1961.
• The ship was decommissioned in 1997 after 36 years of service.
• The plan for building an indigenous aircraft carrier started taking shape as the old INS Vikrant neared its decommissioning in the late 1990s.
• After it was retired, India relied on INS Viraat, which had then been serving the Indian Navy for over 10 years, after its earlier 25 year stint with the Royal Navy as HMS Hermes.
• Meanwhile, the design and construction of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-I (IAC-I) was sanctioned in January 2003. 
• Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), a public sector shipbuilding entity under the Ministry of Shipping, was tasked to build the ship.

News Source: The Hindu

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