INS Vikrant Full Form

What is the full form of INS Vikrant?

The full form of INS is the Indian Navy Ship. R11 is the pennant number of INS Vikrant. Indian Navy Ship Vikrant (R11) was a Majestic-class aircraft carrier (Vikrant, "courageous" in Sanskrit). When World War II came to an end, the His Majesty's Ship (HMS) Hercules ship which had been built for the British Royal Navy was put on hold. India bought the unfinished carrier in 1957, and work on it was finished in 1961. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Vikrant, the Indian Navy's first aircraft carrier, was instrumental in enforcing the naval blockade of East Pakistan. Before being decommissioned in January 1997, the ship underwent extensive renovations in its later years to accommodate newer aircraft. She was kept as a museum ship in Mumbai's Naval Docks till 2012. The ship was sold through an online auction in January 2014, and after receiving final approval from the Supreme Court, it was demolished in November 2014.

This R11 is not to be confused with the I-1 (Indian Aircraft Carrier -1), which started building in 2013 and is scheduled to enter service with the Indian Navy by 2022 after undergoing sea trials by the end of 2021. It bears the name Vikrant in honour of INS Vikrant, India's first aircraft carrier (1961).

What is An Aircraft Carrier?

We must comprehend what kind of naval ship INS Vikrant is before we can discuss it in more detail. The aircraft carrier variant includes INS Vikrant. A vessel that acts as a seagoing airbase and has a full-length flight deck, as well as spaces for storing, preparing for deployment, and bringing back aircraft is known as an aircraft carrier. As it enables a naval force to project air power globally without depending on local bases for the staging of aircraft operations, it is typically the capital ship of a fleet. Since their invention at the beginning of the 20th century, carriers have changed from wooden boats used to launch balloons to nuclear-powered battleships that transport a large number of fighters, strike aircraft, helicopters, and other types of aircraft.

What Kind of Ship is INS Vikrant?

The sister ship, the INS Viraat (commissioned on May 12, 1987), was substantially longer and wider than the INS Vikrant, which was 700 feet long and 128 feet broad. The INS Vikrant served as a link between large fleet carriers and more compact, less expensive escort carriers. To put it another way, INS Vikrant falls under the category of a "light fleet carrier." INS Vikrant is formally categorized as an aircraft carrier of the Majestic class.

Its turbines produced 40,000 indicated horsepower (30,000 kW) and due to this, it can attain a speed of 25 knots or roughly 46 km/h. Approximately 1100 officers, men, and aircrew may reside on INS Vikrant.

What is INS Vikrant's Operational History?

• The INS Vikrant made her first trip to Tamil Nadu for initial refitting and re-armament after being commissioned in 1961. The carrier was being rebuilt in Mumbai when the war of 1965 (which started on August 5, 1965) between India and Pakistan broke out. It wouldn't budge from its moorings until the war was over. During the War, its warplanes had to fly out of air bases that were on dry land. Both sides claimed victory based on the proportion of areas controlled at the end of the conflict, but the war concluded with a truce mediated by the United Nations with no clear winner.

• The first combat mission for Vikrant took place in the Indo-Pak War of 1971. This time, the INS Vikrant used to conduct combat air operations and launch airstrikes, with the Hawker Sea Hawk fighter-bombers playing a major role. Bangladesh was founded as a result of the 1971 war, which saw a resounding victory for the Indian Armed Forces. Vikrant took the lead by utilising its aircraft squadron to obstruct East Pakistan's access to essential supplies by air and sea and to hinder Pakistani Army ground actions. Between 1991 and 1994, the cruiser underwent another overhaul, which did provide some operational stability.

• However, it was clear that she had passed her prime because even the most powerful spacecraft have a certain lifespan. Finally, it was decided to decommission her. In 1997, she was formally decommissioned. Before public safety issues and a lack of finance from both the Indian Navy and the State Government of Maharashtra proved to be the ship's death knell, INS Vikrant was laid up in Mumbai, where she served as a museum ship from 2001 until 2012. In 2013, INS Vikrant was put up for auction, and in November 2014, it was demolished.