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karatecatman · Guest

www.hindu.com/2008/09/29/stories/2008092955681400.htm
Keel-laying of indigenous aircraft carrier in December

S. Anandan
Construction right on course using integrated hull outfitting method

Kochi: Laying of keel for India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), originally named Air Defence Ship (ADS), will take place at the Cochin Shipyard in December this year when a major construction block will be lowered into the building bay.

“We are looking forward to completing close to 400 of the total 900 blocks by the time the keel is laid. And the tonnage would be about 8,000 tonnes,” sources told The Hindu.

Despite the initial hiccups caused by non-availability of warship-grade steel, the construction is right on course using the integrated hull outfitting and painting method.

It is concurrent engineering with regard to design and construction, and steel is sourced “primarily” from the Steel Authority of India (SAIL).

“The idea is to launch it in 2010 when it would have completed some 20,000 tonnes, including hull, as it cannot be launched at a higher displacement from the building bay. After about a year’s building in the refit dock, it would be launched again when every major component and everything underwater would be in place. Only outfitting would remain. If everything goes as per the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) plan, it should touch the waters in 2013,” sources said.

Originally, the carrier was to have been built by 2012. But a delay in arrival of indigenous steel — after efforts to import steel from Russia ran aground — caused it to be a year behind schedule. After steel was cut for the construction in April, 2005, there was considerable delay.

“But the country got a definite shot in the arm as we have been able to indigenously manufacture ABA-grade quality steel (which is six times stronger than the steel used for building ships). This will stand us in good stead when we embark on construction of the second carrier soon after this. Besides, this has tremendously brought down the overall construction cost,” said a Navy officer associated with warship production.

With crucial inputs from the Hyderabad-based Defence Metallurgical Research laboratory, and overall supervision of the Naval Design Bureau, SAIL, along with Heavy Engineering Corporation, Ranchi, Krishna Industries, Nagpur and Bajrang Alloys, Raipur, has been able to “open a new frontier” in carrier building technology by fashioning the requisite quality steel, a Navy engineer said.

The Naval Materials Research laboratory, Mumbai, developed the welding technology besides carrying out corrosion-proofing of welded steel. Although about 4,000 tonnes of bulb bars required by the vessel is imported from Russia, a relatively smaller quantity is rolled and readied by Krishna Industries.

As per the original plan, the carrier would have the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter) Dhruv in its fleet of 30 assorted aircraft besides MiG 29 K and Ka-31.

“By the time the IAC is commissioned, the naval Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Tejas) would also be ready,” said a Navy engineer. Further, with the Navy now on the lookout for replacement for its ageing Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopter Sea King beyond the ALH, some changes in the carrier fleet composition are anticipated. Russian News agency, RIA Novosti, has reported that India would be buying 30 more MiG 29 Ks and two-seater MiG 29 KUBs apart from the 12 it would receive as per a 2004 contract.

“The STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) carrier will have a versatile deck from which any aircraft, MiG 29 downwards, could operate,” said a Navy officer.

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(Partly sourced from Wikipedia)

INS Vikrant (formerly HMS Hercules (R49)
Builder: Vickers-Armstrong/Harland and Wolff
Displacement: 15,700 tons standard, 19,500 tons full load
Length: 192 m (630 ft) waterline, 213.3 metres (700 ft) extreme
Speed: 23 knots (43 km/h)
Range: 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement: 1,075 usual, 1,340 wartime sailors/officers
Armament: 16 × 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (later reduced to Cool

Aircraft carried: Sea King Mk 42B and Mk 42C
HAL Chetak
Sea Harrier FRS.51
Breguet Alizé Br.1050

Now a floating museum at Bombay/Mumbai.

***

INS Viraat (formerly HMS Hermes)
Builder: Vickers-Armstrong
Displacement: 23,900 tons (standard), 28,700 tons (full)
Length: 226.5 m
Beam: 48.78 m
Draught: 8.8 m
Propulsion: 2 x Parsons geared steam turbines with 76,000 shp
4 x boilers with 400 psi
Speed: 28 knots
Range: 6,500 miles at 14 knots
Complement: 1,207 crew, 143 Aircrew
Sensors and processing systems: 1 x BEL/Signaal RAWL 02 air radar
1 x RAWS 08 air/surface radar
2 x BEL Rashmi navigation radars
1 x EL/M-2221 STGR fire control radar
1 x Plessey Type 904 radar
1 x FT 13-S/M Tacan system
Sonar: 1 x Graseby Type 184M hull-mounted sonar
Electronic warfare and decoys: 1 x BEL Ajanta ESM
Decoy: 2 x Knebworth Corvus chaff launchers
Armament: 2 x 40mm Bofors AA guns
Italian Elmar communication suites
CAAIS action data automation; Link 10
SATCOM systems
16 x Barak SAM VL cells
Aircraft carried:
28 aircraft, including
Sea Harriers Mk.51 and Mk.52
H-3 Sea King Mk.42
HAL Chetak
HAL Dhruv

***
INS Vikramaditya (former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov)
Builder: Chernomorskiy yard, Nikolayev
Displacement: 45,000 tons full load
Length: 273.1 m overall
Beam: 31.0 m
Draught: 8.2 m
Propulsion: 4 shaft geared steam turbines, 140,000 hp
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h)
Endurance: 13500 miles at 18 knots
Armament: 8 CADS-N-1 Kashtan CIWS

Aircraft carried: 16 MiG-29K
HAL Tejas
Sea Harrier
6 Ka-31 'Helix'
HAL Dhruv

***
Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (to be christened INS Vikrant 2)
Builder: Cochin Shipyard
Displacement: 37,500 tons
Length: 252 metres
Beam: 58 metres
Draught: 8.4 metres
Depth: 25.6 metres
Propulsion: General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines, driving four shafts = 88MW
Speed: 28 knots
Range: 7,500 miles at 18 knots
Complement: approximately 1,400 men
Aircraft carried: 20 aircraft
MiG-29K
HAL Tejas
10 helicopters
HAL Dhruv
Ka-31 'Helix'

(Estimated service life: 50 years)

***
Second Indigenous Aircraft carrier (being planned)
May be christened INS Viraat 2
Diplacement: 64,000 tonnes