The Indian Navy has submitted a massive proposal to the government to have the Cochin Shipyard Limited build a second aircraft carrier as part of a significant push towards military indigenization. According to defence authorities, the Defence Ministry has received a proposal for the construction and acquisition of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-2, which would be the second indigenous aircraft carrier.
They stated that the proposal put out by the Indian Navy would soon be discussed by the Defence Ministry as one of the largest programmes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) programme in the defence sector. When the government approves the work on the IAC-2, the programme will generate thousands of direct jobs and countless indirect jobs through the Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kerala.
In Kochi in September of last year, Prime Minister Modi commissioned the nation’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, and praised Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for its skill in producing such sizable vessels. In order to keep at least one carrier on each coast while one is being repaired, the Indian Navy has been pushing for three aircraft carriers. With three aircraft carriers, the Indian Navy would also be keeping pace with all the navies deployed in the Indo-Pacific region, officials said.
Additionally, the Indian Navy plans to purchase the indigenous Twin Engine Deck L-based Fighter aircraft that are currently anticipated to be constructed in significant quantities to be deployed on the three carriers, as well as 26 new Rafale fighter aircraft for the INS Vikrant.
Admiral R Hari Kumar had recently stated that INS Vikrant, the indigenously built aircraft carrier, will be based in Visakhapatnam. INS-Vikrant was a landmark event for India and all-out efforts are on to make it (INS-Vikrant) fully operational by November 2023.
The Indian Navy has assured the government that the naval force will be Atmanirbhar (self-sufficient) by 2047. According to Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Navy has been supporting and providing incentives to start-ups and MSMEs for self-reliance with the goal of having a made-in-India security solution for the nation.
Image source: ANI
