India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant completes harbour trials

India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant has successfully completed the harbor trials, basin trials set to commence basin tests next month following the fitting of systems and equipment, The New Indian Express shared.

Basin trials are conducted for proving of the propulsion (move), transmission (electricity) and shafting systems which can be tested only out of waters.

It will be followed with sea trials by end of this year and indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) is expected to be commissioned for the Indian Navy by end of 2021.

In January 2020 the progress of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-P71) project was reviewed by the Empowered Apex Committee (EAC) headed by Ajay Kumar, Defence Secretary at Cochin Shipyard Limited. Basin Trials will be followed by the Sea Trials by end 2020, as per the sources.

The original timeline of the IAC was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to a halt in operations.

Major structural and outfitting work of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) was completed by February including the major milestone activities like starting of Main Propulsion machinery and trials of Power Generation machinery.

All four Gas Turbines, main engines were started, Power Generation Systems comprising of eight Diesel Alternators ready and trials of ship’s major systems and auxiliary equipment (pumps, motors, filters, AC, etc) in progress. IAC had successfully completed the Pre-Contractors Sea Trials dry dock work package in Dec 2019.

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