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<br />
While we Indians are happy thinking that we belong to a country that is an emerging superpower, the truth is that this ‘so-called’ emerging superpower is not going to have a single operational aircraft carrier for the coming eight months.<br />
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The only aircraft carrier that India has, called <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/This-Is-Why-The-NewAircraft-Carrier-INS-Vikramaditya-Is-Important-For-The-Indian-Navy/articleshow/25805872.cms">INS Vikramaditya</a>, is undergoing maintenance refit, and would be fit for use only after eight months, and till then, we are pretty much without one.<br />
<br /> The problem doesn’t end here. The 44,570-tonne <keyword id="317546" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="INS-Vikramaditya">INS Vikramaditya</keyword> is probably going to be the only aircraft carrier in India for the next six-seven years.<br />
<br /> The central audit body, the CAG of India, presented a report in Parliament yesterday, which said that the second aircraft carrier of India, the 40,000-tonne homemade <keyword id="312412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="INS-Vikrant">INS Vikrant</keyword>, which is already been delayed for long now, will be ready only by 2023.<br />
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<em>Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Indian-Navys-Blue-Water-journey-the-road-ahead/articleshow/47515574.cms">Indian Navy's Blue Water journey: the road ahead</a></em><br />
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Talking of the use of aircraft carriers, they are used to display raw combat power when they are in the high seas, with fighter jets and missiles ready to be launched in case of adversaries. It’s because of this use that the Indian Navy has been asking for three aircraft carriers, one each for the western and eastern sea-boards, and one extra in case of these timely refits.<br />
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However, the CAG report, which <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/CAG-slams-DPSUs-for-project-delays/articleshow/53410883.cms">slammed the defence PSUs</a> for being sluggish with the projects given to them, says that we can’t expect even a two-carrier force till 2023.<br />
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<em>Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-how-Modi-has-strengthened-Indias-navy/articleshow/48972278.cms">Here’s how Modi has strengthened India’s navy</a></em><br />
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However, the Navy is confident that INS Vikrant, first approved in May 1999 and beginning its construction in November 2006 will be ready by December 2018.<br />
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"INS Vikrant will not have its Russian aviation complex (aviation armaments, mobile systems, arresting gear, hydraulic stations and other equipment) and the Barak-8 long-range surface-to-air missile systems by then. But we are planning sea trials from 2018 onwards," a senior officer told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/India-to-stay-without-aircraft-carrier-for-8-months/articleshow/53409482.cms">ET</a>.<br />
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<em><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/INS_Vikramaditya_in_Baltic_Sea.jpg">Image source</a></em><br />

India's only aircraft carrier is going away for eight months, and it's not a good thing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two fighter jets landed on and took off from India's new aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, this month.</li><li>The jets that landed on Vikrant may not be the jets that India uses on its carriers in the future.</li></ul><p>On February 6, the Indian Navy <a href="https://indiannavy.nic.in/content/maiden-landing-lca-navy-and-mig-29k-fighter-aircraft-onboard-ins-vikrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that fixed-wing aircraft had successfully landed on and taken off from India's first domestically built aircraft carrier, <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/features/ins-vikrant-a-profile-of-indias-newest-aircraft-carrier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INS Vikrant</a>.</p><p>The jets involved were the naval variant of the Indian-made <a href="https://www.hotcars.com/underrated-hal-tejas-elevates-indian-air-force/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tejas</a> fighter, referred to as "LCA Navy" for "Light Combat Aircraft Navy" in the <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1622585639664484352" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a>, followed by a Russian-designed <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1622594390945587201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1622594390945587201%7Ctwgr%5Ef439a694d93f6794ba5cd34d33c25d14cb5d70bf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aviacionline.com%2F2023%2F02%2Fnaval-tejas-and-mig-29k-tested-aboard-ins-vikrant-indias-new-aircraft-carrier%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MiG-29K</a>. Each jet landed using the carrier's arresting cable and then launched from the carrier's ski-jump ramp.</p><p>The operations were the latest milestone in New Delhi's "Atmanirbhar Bharat," or "self-reliant India," initiative, which is meant to increase domestic production of military hardware.</p><p>Adm. R. Hari Kumar, India's Chief of Naval Staff, said in a statement that the operations marked "a momentous step forward towards the realization of our collective vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat" and heralded the integration of the MiG-29K into the carrier's inventory.</p><p>Vikrant's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-new-chinese-and-indian-aircraft-carriers-compare-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduction</a> and its first jet operations come at an important time for the Indian Navy, which is seeking to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/after-himalayan-clash-india-prepares-navy-to-take-on-china-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase its strength</a> to counter the growing threat from China.</p><h2>Indian carriers</h2><div type="image" title="India navy aircraft carrier INS Vikrant Tejas fighter jet" height="559" width="840" msid="98192314" hostid="261"></div><p>Though Vikrant is India's first domestically built carrier, it is actually <a href="https://pib.gov.in/FeaturesDeatils.aspx?NoteId=151135&amp;ModuleId%20=%202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the fourth</a> to enter service with the Indian Navy. The first two, INS Vikrant (namesake of the current Vikrant) and INS Viraat, were both former British carriers in service with India from 1961 to 1997 and 1987 to 2017, respectively.</p><p>The third carrier, <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/ins-vikramaditya-aircraft-carrier/#:~:text=The%20ship%20also%20employs%20six,to%2045%20days%20at%20sea." target="_blank" rel="noopener">INS Vikramaditya</a>, is a modified Kiev-class carrier India <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/india-wont-even-think-about-buying-russian-aircraft-carrier-again-196265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purchased</a> from Russia in 2004. Commissioned in 2013, Vikramaditya brought with it the <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/mig-29k-carrier-based-multirole-fighter-aircraft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MiG-29K</a>, the carrier version of the famed MiG-29 fighter jet. The Indian Navy previously used the venerable <a href="http://www.military-today.com/aircraft/bae_sea_harrier.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sea Harrier</a>.</p><p>At about 930 feet long, Vikramaditya displaces about 44,000 tons and can carry 36 aircraft, mainly MiG-29Ks and a combination of <a href="http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/kamov_ka31.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ka-31</a>, <a href="https://weaponsystems.net/system/1288-Kamov%20Ka-27PL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ka-28</a>, and <a href="http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/dhruv.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HAL Dhruv</a> helicopters. It has a crew of 1,600, a top speed of 28 knots, and a range of about 7,000 nautical miles.</p><p>Vikrant, meanwhile, measures about 860 feet in length, displaces around 43,000 tons, and can carry 30 aircraft. It has a crew of 1,500, a top speed of 28 knots, and a range of 7,500 nautical miles.</p><div type="image" title="India navy aircraft carrier INS Vikrant MiG-29K fighter jet" height="559" width="840" msid="98192315" hostid="261"></div><p>Both carriers use a short takeoff but arrested recovery, or STOBAR, system that launches aircraft off a ski-jump ramp rather than from deck-mounted catapults.</p><p>INS Vikrant is expected to be ready for operations by the end of this year and INS Vikramaditya is expected to return this spring after an extensive 15-month refit. The newer carrier <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/aircraft-carrier-ins-vikramaditya-is-back-on-high-seas-101676775908275.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will reportedly</a> be based on India's East Coast and the older carrier on the West Coast.</p><p>India's carriers have been extremely valuable for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, where New Delhi has long regarded itself as the most influential actor.</p><p>Vikrant aided the annexation of Goa from Portugal in 1961 by deterring foreign intervention and was vital to the naval blockade of Bangladesh (then called East Pakistan) during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Viraat supported India's peacekeeping efforts in Sri Lanka and <a href="https://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/041219/operation-talwar-how-the-navy-silently-contributed-to-kargil-win.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened to blockade</a> Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil War.</p><div type="image" title="INS Vikramaditya" height="826" width="1240" msid="98192319" hostid="261"></div><p>In recent years, Indian concerns have focused on China's increasing presence and activity in the Indian Ocean. China has deployed surface ships to conduct anti-piracy <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-navy-growth-and-search-for-overseas-bases-worries-us-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">patrols off the Horn of Africa</a> since 2008, and a Chinese submarine visit to Sri Lanka in 2014 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-border-clashes-could-cause-more-indian-ocean-activity-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised alarm in India</a>.</p><p>Since then, Beijing has set up <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-chinese-troops-coexist-and-cooperate-in-djibouti-general-says-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a naval base in Djibouti</a> and pursued port projects — which are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-worried-about-chinese-activity-near-maritime-chokepoints-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seen as avenues to advance</a> Chinese economic, diplomatic, and potentially military influence — around the region, including a 99-year lease in Hambantota, a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indias-concern-with-beijing-expansion-grows-with-sri-lanka-port-deal-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strategically located port</a> in southern Sri Lanka where India has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-military-survey-ship-docks-sri-lanka-port-2022-08-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longstanding concern</a> about Chinese military activity. A <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-military-survey-ship-docks-sri-lanka-port-2022-08-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">port call</a> in Hambantota last year by a Chinese tracking vessel raised alarm in India about spying missions off its coasts.</p><p>By adding carriers — Indian officials are already <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-navy-plans-for-another-vikrant-size-carrier-before-vikramaditya-retires/article66529445.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering</a> buying another Vikrant-size carrier — India's navy can keep them at sea off of both its coasts and around the region in order to monitor activity and potential threats from China's navy, the largest in the world.</p><p>More carriers would also help India maintain its naval advantage over its longtime rival, Pakistan.</p><h2>Indian jets</h2><div type="image" title="India navy aircraft carrier INS Vikrant Tejas fighter jet" height="364" width="840" msid="98192320" hostid="261"></div><p>Though the Tejas and MiG-29K are the first jets India has operated on Vikrant's deck, they are not jets that India plans to use in the carrier's air wing in the future.</p><p>In 2016, the Indian Navy <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/navy-rejects-tejas-says-overweight-fighter-does-not-meet-its-requirements/articleshow/55756350.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> the naval variant of the Tejas because its single-engine design gives it a low thrust-to-weight ratio, making it unable to launch from a STOBAR carrier with a full load of fuel and weapons. The jet is only being used as a technology demonstrator to inform future operations and development.</p><p>The MiG-29K, meanwhile, has been <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/land/2017/08/04/indian-navy-wants-russian-mig-29k-jets-to-be-ruggedized/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a headache</a> for India. At least five of the 45 jets it has purchased have <a href="https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/indian-navy-reports-crash-of-fifth-mig-29k-in-four-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crashed</a> in the last four years. A 2016 <a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/mig-29k-has-engine-failure-airframe-issues-cag-report-271853" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by the Indian government said 40 of the 65 MiG-29K engines delivered to India had been withdrawn from service or rejected because of defects and deficiencies.</p><div type="image" title="Indian navy MiG-29 fighter jet aircraft carrier INS Vikrant" height="1331" width="2000" msid="98192322" hostid="261"></div><p>Like the rest of India's military, the Navy is dependent on Russia for major maintenance and support, including Russian technicians and spare parts, which may soon <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-technology-business-india-europe-8c2974119783b455f68fdcca6a7b474f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">be in much shorter supply</a> given the toll the war in Ukraine <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/21/ukraine-russia-arms-business-weapons-exports-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has taken on Russia's defense industry</a>.</p><p>That reliance is exactly what Atmanirbhar Bharat aims to undo. Although the LCA Navy was rejected, India still has plans for a domestically produced carrier-based fighter. That jet, the Twin-Engine Deck Based Fighter, or TEDBF, is <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/twin-engine-carrier-based-fighter-for-navy-could-be-inducted-by-2031-32/article66124792.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in the early stages</a> of development and is intended to replace India's MiG-29Ks around 2031.</p><p>India is also looking to acquire 26 new carrier-borne aircraft from another country to use until the TEDBF arrives. The search narrowed to two models: the French-made Dassault Rafale M and the US-made Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.</p><p>India's air force already operates the Rafale, leading to <a href="https://www.aviacionline.com/2023/01/india-rafale-m-beat-out-super-hornet-as-the-navys-favorite-for-carrier-operations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that the Rafale M will edge out the Super Hornet.</p>

A first-of-its-kind fighter jet landing shows India's big ambitions for its growing aircraft carrier fleet

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India and Israel have signed mega defence deals worth over $2 billion for advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, designed to destroy hostile aircraft, missiles and drones within 70 km range.<br />
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Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/politics/national-security/These-Israeli-drones-will-help-India-identify-and-destroy-terror-camps/articleshow/48914582.cms">These Israeli drones will help India identify and destroy terror camps!</a><br />
<br /> This would strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership that both countries share. PM <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is scheduled to visit <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/small-business/Start-Tel-Aviv-selects-2-women-entrepreneurs/articleshow/53681969.cms">Tel Aviv</a> in July this year.<br />
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As per defence sources, the deal took place between India’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/small-business/tech/drdo-wants-to-weed-out-human-errors-in-security-heres-what-it-is-planning-to-do/articleshow/56373987.cms">DRDO </a>and <keyword id="621699" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Israel-Aerospace-Industries">Israel Aerospace Industries</keyword> (IAI) for the Barak-8 medium-range SAM systems to initially include one regiment of 16 launchers and 560 missiles for the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/military-defense/finally-indian-army-is-going-modern-with-its-ammo/articleshow/57407027.cms">Indian Army</a>.<br />
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Another deal was done for a similar SAM system to be fitted on board India’s 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/military-defense/INS-Vikramaditya-going-away-for-eight-months/articleshow/53411731.cms">INS Vikrant</a>, which is being built at the Cochin Shipyard.<br />
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Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/India-is-fast-tracking-the-development-of-its-new-aircraft-carrier-in-order-to-compete-with-China/articleshow/46363332.cms">India is fast-tracking the development of its new aircraft carrier in order to compete with China</a><br />
<br /> Two similar DRDO-IAI programmes are already underway for the next-generation SAMs for Indian warships and nine air defence squadrons for the <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword>. These projects are worth Rs 2,606 crore for Rs 10,076 crore, respectively.<br />
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These Barak-8 systems, with their MF-STARs (multi-function surveillance and threat alert radars) as well as weapon control systems with data links will be able to detect and track hostile aerial threats within a range of 100 kms, while being able to destroy them within 70 km range.<br />
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Thus, they will be helping in filling the existing holes in India's air defence coverage.<br />
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However, these SAM systems have been questioned in the past, both for their exorbitant costs as well as long delays in their delivery schedules, taking years to be delivered.<br />
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Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/military-defense/india-to-get-rafale-jets-by-2019/articleshow/57180556.cms">India to get Rafale jets by 2019</a><br />
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Israel is among the top three defence suppliers to India and both countries have inked deals and projects worth around $10 billion over the last 15 years. Over the past two years, Israel has bagged seven contracts from Indian defence sector.<br />
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(Image source AIN Online)

India has signed defence deals worth over $2 billion with Israel

<br /> India has cleared the construction of its largest warship. The <keyword id="2738388" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="INS-Vishal">INS Vishal</keyword> would weigh around 65,000 tonnes and may have nuclear capabilities. It’ll join the ranks of the <keyword id="42407" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Navy">navy</keyword> in about a decade.<br />
<br /> The <keyword id="754702" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Defence-Acquisition-Council">Defence Acquisition Council</keyword> (DAC) has invested Rs 30 crore to officially launch the project. The aircraft carrier-II (IAC-II) bears huge significance for the country as it’s competiting with China for the same strategic space in the <keyword id="12350" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Ocean">Indian Ocean</keyword> region. The latest warship would give India huge strategic advantage.<br />
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Aircraft carriers are the most powerful naval warfare equipment across the globe. They can travel 600 nautical miles a day with heavy arms on board. The INS Vishal would be able to launch fighter jets and heavier aircrafts from its deck.<br />
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The possible reasons behind India’s step could be the increasing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean. It has commissioned its first carrier Liaoning in 2012 and is currently building four more, two regulars and two 90,000-tonne nuclear-powered super carriers.<br />
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Moreover, India’s INS Viraat will retire early next year. That leaves only INS Vikramaditya to lead the navy. The INS Vikrant is being built at the Cochin Shipyard, but will only be ready to join by 2018.<br />
<br /> (Image: <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword>)<br />

Say hello to India’s largest warship. It’s on its way

New Delhi, The <keyword id="43909" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="defence-Ministry" source="Orion">defence ministry</keyword> on Thursday approved the proposed procurement of 26 Naval variant of <keyword id="6381048" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rafale" source="Orion">Rafale</keyword> jets from France, people familiar with the development said. The project was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (<keyword id="456872" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DAC" source="Orion">DAC</keyword>) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a two-day visit to Paris. <br /><br />The DAC, which is the defence ministry's highest decision making body on procurement, also cleared a proposal for construction of three more Scorpene submarines in India. <br /><br />The mega <keyword id="75940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="defence-projects" source="Orion">defence projects</keyword> are expected to be announced after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday. <br /><br />The DAC's approval to the projects came around a week after they were cleared by the Defence Procurement Board (DPB). <br /><br />The Indian Navy is looking for procurement of 26 deck-based fighter jets for indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. <br /><br />After a lengthy process, the Navy had narrowed down on Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and French aerospace major Dassault Aviation's Rafale M aircraft for the procurement. <br /><br />Later, Rafale-M, the naval variant of the lethal jet, emerged as the winner in the tight race.  <br /><br />India has already procured 36 Rafale jets from France for the Indian Air Force. <br /><br />The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. <br /><br />Another important project with France would be the follow on order of three Scorpene submarines. <br /><br />Under Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have already been made in India. PTi MPB DV DV

Procurement of 26 Rafale jets for Navy approved

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><p class="source">REUTERS</p></div></div><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> launched a new indigenous carrier today, marking the steady increase in Asia's burgeoning arms race, <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/india-unveils-home-built-aircraft-carrier">reports the</a> Associated Press.</p>
<p>The INS Vikrant displaces 40,000 tons of water, has a length of 262 meters, a max breadth of 62  meters, two runways, and significantly extends India's reach into the Pacific.</p>
<p>"India's first self-made carrier, along with reinforced naval strength, will further disrupt the <keyword id="6359526" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Military">military</keyword> balance in South Asia," <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Senior Captain Zhang Junshe, Vice-President of <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s Naval Research Institute <a href="http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-ins-vikrant-enables-india-to-wade-into-chinas-backyard-makes-dragon-nervous-4346225-NOR.html">told state-run</a> CCTV today.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">India has one other operational carrier that it bought from Russia and refurbished, the <span>INS Viraat. It also plans to have another indigenously built carrier, the INS <span>Vikramaditya, built and operational by the end of the year.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span><span><div class="image-container float_left" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><p class="source">REUTERS</p></div></div>The ships not only put India in an elite group of countries capable of building their own carriers — U.S., Russia, France and Britain (possibly <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/japans-giant-new-destroyer-sends-a-clear-message-to-china-the-world-2013-8">depending on what they</a> decide to call their new flat-top ships) — but signal signal of a larger arms race occurring in Asia.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Asia's <a href="http://news.investors.com/business/062513-661310-asia-defense-spending-to-top-us-military-budget-by-2021.htm">defense spending is set to top</a> North America's by 2020, <a href="http://www.dw.de/the-new-arms-race-in-asia/a-16681158">and has already topped</a> Europe's as of last  year.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Just last week Japan unveiled what it called a "destroyer," <a href="http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/08/10/china-wary-of-japans-new-aircraft-carrier">but what officials called</a> a "carrier in disguise." </span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">The name of the ship is the "Izumo," the </span><a href="http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/08/10/china-wary-of-japans-new-aircraft-carrier">same name of the heavy cruiser</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> which kicked off the invasion of China in July 7, 1937.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span><span><span>Furthermore, the region has seen overall increases in military spending from China and Japan, while the Europe and North American regions have seen recent decreases — this at a time when President Barack Obama pushes his big "Pacific pivot."</span></span></span></span></p>

India's New Carrier Joins The Big Asian Arms Race

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Wednesday assured the new generation entrepreneurs in the defence equipment world that the 'Made in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>' products will get priority in defence procurement.<br /><br />Sixty-eight per cent of the defence budget has been earmarked for indigenous products, he added.<br /><br />While inaugurating the defExpo-2022 here, the Prime Minister also launched the Indian Military Airworthiness Procedures (IMAP), HTT-40, Indian Defence Mart and defence <keyword id="15298793" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="space-msn" source="Orion">Space Msn</keyword> besides virtually laying the foundation stone for the DEESA Airfield.<br /><br />He said the country was once a net importer of defence equipment, but over the last eight years, defence manufactured in India is in demand across the world, and the exports have grown eight times. It has touched USD 1.59 billion, and the country targets to achieve the USD 5 billion mark in the next five years.<br /><br />Citing the success of the Brahmos missile, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354642" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="modi" source="Orion">Modi</keyword> said it is placed in one of the best technology missile categories and many countries have evinced interest in buying it.<br /><br />All three defence wings and indigenous companies' innovations are putting the nation on global armament nation. INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, Lightweight Helicopter 'Prachand' and tanks and indigenous combat guns are the pride of India, he said.<br /><br />"In the coming years, Space Diplomacy is going to take India to a new height as our satellites will be sharing real-time access with 60 developing countries. <keyword id="62000" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="maritime-security" source="Orion">Maritime Security</keyword> is a global priority and India has taken initiative in maritime security in the Indian Ocean region, in which 46 friendly countries are working on it," he said.<br /><br />Some 450 Memoranda of Understandings and agreements are going to be signed during these four days of DefExpo-2022.<br /><br />The Prime Minister, without naming the Congress, said, "Earlier pigeons were released, now Cheetah is now released, this is the difference of the government."<br /><br />He added in the past years, "our majority budget was going into importing defence equipment, now the time has changed. All three defence wings have made a list of 411 equipment which will be purchased from domestic manufacturers, only select items will now be imported," he added.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indians-to-benefit-as-canada-aims-to-grant-citizenship-to-300000-people-in-2022-23/articleshow/94956352.cms">Indians to benefit as Canada aims to grant citizenship to 300,000 people in 2022-23</a><br /></strong><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/over-50-lakh-vehicles-deregistered-in-delhi-till-oct-17-this-year/articleshow/94956121.cms"><strong>Over 50 lakh vehicles deregistered in Delhi till Oct 17 this year</strong></a><br />

68% of defence budget allocated for procuring indigenous equipment: PM

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>India is fast tracking its project to build an indigenous aircraft carrier, since the country's oldest carrier is scheduled to retire next year, The Times Of India <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-now-puts-aircraft-carrier-plan-on-fast-track/articleshow/46336472.cms">reports</a>. </p><p>India's current INS Viraat aircraft carrier is set to retire next year <span>after 56 years of service in the Indian navy</span>. With a fleet of only 11 aging Harrier jump jets and a host of mechanical and restoration costs, it isn't economically or strategically viable to continue operating the vessel. </p><p>As the retirement will leave the Indian navy with only one other carrier, the INS Vikramaditya. So India has decided to speed up the development of its own aircraft carrier, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-now-puts-aircraft-carrier-plan-on-fast-track/articleshow/46336472.cms">according</a> to The Times of India.</p><p>Although the vessel's exact size and propulsion system are still being proposed, India is planning for the Vishal to be a fully modern aircraft carrier. The Diplomat <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2015/02/indias-new-aircraft-carrier-plans-may-get-a-boost/">reports</a> that the Vishal will displace 65,000 tons and will be constructed with US-provided Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS). This would allow the carrier to launch aircraft at a faster rate with improved ease, compared to previous Indian carriers. </p><p>Aside from EMALS, USNI News <a href="http://news.usni.org/2015/02/23/indian-navy-set-to-accelerate-second-indigenous-carrier-as-u-k-built-viraat-carrier-is-set-to-decommission-next-year">reports</a> THAT the carrier will likely also feature a catapult assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) system similar to what's used aboard <a href="http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/nimitz/">US Nimitz-class</a> aircraft carriers. This system would allow the Vishal to launch a range of heavy fighters as well as surveillance planes. </p><p>The Times of India <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-now-puts-aircraft-carrier-plan-on-fast-track/articleshow/46336472.cms">estimates</a> that the Vishal should be complete within 10 to 12 years. The development of the carrier will likely receive significant help from a <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/25/us-india-joint-statement-shared-effort-progress-all">bilateral agreement</a> between the US and India that lays the ground for "<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">a working group to explore aircraft carrier technology sharing and design."</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Aside from the Vishal, India is developing a smaller carrier, the INS Vikrant. Much of that vessel has already been constructed, and it is expected to be ready for induction in 2018 to 2019. Ultimately, India is hoping to field a fleet of five carriers of various sizes to solidify its presence in the Indian Ocean. </span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">India's drive to create an aircraft carrier fleet is a reflection of the country's ongoing competition with China.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Beijing has been </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-has-slowly-been-eating-away-at-india-2014-9">steadily investing</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> in port installations in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. These ports have allowed for Chinese merchant vessels, in addition to submarines and warships, to have </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-chinas-strategy-for-building-a-military-presence-in-the-indian-ocean-2015-1">safe harbor</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> throughout the entirety of the Indian Ocean. </span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">China recently <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-suspicious-as-Chinese-submarine-docks-in-Sri-Lanka/articleshow/43672064.cms">raised Indian suspicions</a> by docking submarines at the port of Colombo in nearby Sri Lanka, and there is concern that Beijing is trying to construct a "<a href="http://csis.org/publication/pacnet-7-pla-n-chinese-maritime-bases-indian-ocean">string of pearls</a>" through the Indian Ocean in order to establish naval and commercial superiority in India's backyard. China and India also have a number of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-has-slowly-been-eating-away-at-india-2014-9">simmering territorial disputes</a>.</span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">China is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-may-be-developing-a-second-aircraft-carrier-2015-2">expecting</a> to have two operational aircraft carriers by the 2020s. The construction of these carriers, and China's increasing push into the Indian Ocean, could pit these two rising powers against each other for maritime control. </span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trailer-point-and-shoot-documentary-libyan-revolution-2015-2">This 26-year-old from Baltimore took a 35,000-mile road trip and ended up fighting in the Libyan revolution</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="szNGZoczpV6FOp_YiVp_j5fNW4DvFIZ8" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

India is fast-tracking the development of its new aircraft carrier in order to compete with China

<strong>The platform will enable the <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian navy</keyword> to move from sea denial to sea control.</strong><br />
 <br /> The new aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya will be commissioned into the <keyword id="1938977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Navy-in-Russia">Indian Navy in Russia</keyword> by <keyword id="6366153" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Defence-Minister">defence minister</keyword> AK Anthony on November 16.<br />
 <br /> Displacing 44,500 tonnes, it is the largest ship ever owned by the Indian <keyword id="42407" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Navy">navy</keyword>. It has a ski jump for take-offs and arrested landing by wires that latch onto the aircraft on the deck. The ship carries about 8,000 tonnes of fuel and can sail up to 14,000 km at one go.<br />
 <br /> With this ship, the Indian navy gets <keyword id="819291" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="one-step">one step</keyword> closer to its dream of operating a blue-water fleet. This follows the classical doctrine of maritime power or sea control – first articulated by <keyword id="1411" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="captain">Captain</keyword> Alfred Thayer Mahan in the 1890s.<br />
 <br />
Only navies with aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines can claim sea control, and India has both. In contrast, navies without such capacity can, at best, exercise sea denial. It is very simple to comprehend – it is essentially offence versus defence.<br />
 <br />
<strong>Indian Navy now has an air force of its own.</strong><br />
The ship has a balance of 30 fighters including 20 brand new MiG-29Ks. It also has 10 Kamov 28 and 31 early-warning and anti-submarine helicopters. This gives the Indian navy a massive outreach. The MiG-29K is an all-weather, carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft with a range of 2,000 km. It can fly at up to 2,200 km per hour. The MiG-29K carries a 30 mm cannon and advanced laser-guided and electro-optical bombs, as well as anti-ship and air-to-air missiles. Similarly, the Kamov is the world’s best anti-submarine and early-warning helicopter.<br />
 <br />
<strong>No smooth sailing for this ship – the seas were rough all along.</strong><br /> The ship was originally called Admiral Gorshkov and served the <keyword id="46942" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Russian-Navy">Russian navy</keyword> not as an aircraft carrier but as a nuclear missile cruiser. It was retired when the erstwhile USSR collapsed and <keyword id="6358826" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword> could not afford it. But that was a long time ago.<br />
 <br />
To transform a missile cruiser into an aircraft carrier has never been done before. From removing its missiles and widening its deck to adding a ski jump for shorter take-off – this ship has seen quite a transformation.<br />
 <br />
But that has also transformed the cost. It was originally billed at $750 million, but the final cost was over $2.3 billion. It is also five years late in getting operational. To make things worse, there was a fire after a boiler burst and wrecked a large part of the ship, which had to be remade piece by piece.<br />
  <br />
However, almost everything on this ship, save the hull, is brand new. The entire wiring was changed and the deck was widened with new angles. And that’s no mean achievement.<br />
 <br />
The ship sailed continuously for 100 days to prove itself and this happened after being docked for, hold your breath, 17 years!<br />
 <br />
One of the MiG-29Ks also crashed while testing. Russians said it was pilot’s error and India took their word for it.<br />
 <br />
It will take 4 more years for this aircraft carrier to be fully operational. Systems for its air defence are not yet on board. Incidentally, these defend the aircraft from cruise missiles. So wait till 2017 for it to do its job properly.<br />
 <br />
That’s not unusual as no one gives you an aircraft carrier off the shelf. India’s special relationship with Russia counts and this aircraft carrier will serve the navy for at least 25 years.<br />
 <br /> The experience gained at the Sevmash shipyard while this ship was built will be of enormous help to India’s own aircraft carrier programme. Also INS Vikrant, an <keyword id="6500558" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indigenous">indigenous</keyword> carrier, was launched on August 12 this year. Therefore, within 5 years, India hopes to operate two carrier battle groups.<br />
 <br />
<strong>Meanwhile, China has got its own second hand carrier from <keyword id="6355101" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ukraine">Ukraine</keyword>.</strong><br />
China has recently made a giant sea stride. It has completely refurbished a second hand carrier that displaces 65,000 tonnes and has a ski jump, just like the Indian carrier. Originally, this aircraft carrier was to be sold as junk by Ukraine, but China finally bought it. Its air wing includes Chinese J15 carrier-borne fighter bombers and anti-submarine helicopters such as the Kamovs that are also used by the Indian navy.<br />
 <br />
However, India has an advantage over China. Having an aircraft carrier and making it a fully operational battle group are two different things. India has operated battle groups for over 40 years now and has deployed them in real wars. A fully operational Chinese aircraft carrier battle group is at least 10 years into the future.<br />
<br />
Image Courtesy: Wikipedia<br />

This Is Why The New
Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya Is Important For The Indian Navy<b></b>

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's and India's navies have both received new aircraft carriers in recent weeks.</li><li>The Chinese carrier Fujian and the Indian flattop Vikrant are both domestically designed and built.</li></ul><p>On June 17, China officially launched its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-navy-growth-and-search-for-overseas-bases-worries-us-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">newest and most advanced aircraft carrier</a>, Fujian.</p><p>Fujian is China's third aircraft carrier and the first to be totally designed and built domestically. It symbolizes <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-pentagon-maps-show-chinas-increasing-military-power-and-reach-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Chinese military's rapid expansion</a> and is seen as a potential rival to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-us-navy-aircraft-carriers-supercarriers-to-ford-class-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the US Navy's nuclear-powered supercarriers</a>.</p><p>But China isn't the only Asian country getting a new carrier this year. In the final days of July, India's navy <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1845871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took delivery</a> of its new carrier, Vikrant.</p><p>Vikrant is also domestically designed and built, and its arrival is a major milestone for India, which is Asia's second largest military power and shares a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amid-border-dispute-tensions-how-china-and-india-militaries-compare-2020-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long and contentious border</a> with China.</p><p>In addition to their many improvements over their predecessors, both carriers are important firsts for their countries. It will be years before either is fully operational, but here's how the two flattops stack up.</p><h2>Fujian</h2><div type="image" title="China aircraft carrier Fujian" height="1338" width="2000" msid="93284323" hostid="261"></div><p>A Type 003-class carrier, Fujian is about 1,035 feet long and displaces about 80,000 tons fully loaded. This makes it slightly larger than its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-chinas-aircraft-carriers-compare-to-us-navy-flattops-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predecessors</a>, the Type 001 Liaoning and Type 002 Shandong, which were about 1,000 feet long and displaced 60,000 to 70,000 tons.</p><p>Liaoning is a Soviet-designed Kuznetsov-class carrier that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-chinese-navy-went-rogue-to-get-first-aircraft-carrier-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China bought in 1998</a> and modified extensively before commissioning it into service in 2012. Shandong was based on Liaoning and entered service in 2019.</p><p>All three of China's carriers use conventional engines <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-chinas-aircraft-carriers-compare-to-us-navy-flattops-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rather than nuclear reactors</a>, limiting the power they can generate and the time they can spend at sea.</p><p>Among Fujian's upgrades is a command island that is <a href="https://twitter.com/louischeung_hk/status/1537402220303376388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1537402220303376388%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fchina-launches-the-fujian-its-most-capable-aircraft-carrier-yet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slimmer and more refined</a> than those of its predecessors, freeing up space on the flight deck.</p><p>The most striking change, however, is the replacement of the short takeoff but arrested recovery (STOBAR) system, and the ski-jump ramp it requires, used on both Liaoning and Shandong.</p><p>Fujian has a completely flat deck and three catapults, reflecting China's effort to adopt the catapult-assisted takeoff but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) system used on US aircraft carriers.</p><div type="image" title="China aircraft carrier type 001a" height="844" width="1500" msid="93284324" hostid="261"></div><p>STOBAR allows jets to take off on shorter decks but limits how much fuel and weaponry they can carry when taking off. This is especially problematic for China, as the only fixed-wing carrier-based aircraft it has in service, the J-15, is already the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-chinas-j-15s-stack-up-against-us-fa-18s-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heaviest carrier-based fighter in service</a>.</p><p>A CATOBAR system can launch jets with bigger payloads and more fuel. It can also launch larger aircraft, like those suited for airborne early warning and control.</p><p>Parts of Fujian's flight deck were covered during the launch ceremony, obscuring its catapults, but they are believed to use an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) that can launch aircraft more efficiently and more frequently than steam-powered catapults.</p><p>Until Fujian, the only carriers with EMALS were those of the US Navy's nuclear-powered <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-new-carrier-ford-ready-to-deploy-after-shock-trials-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ford-class</a>. Chinese sailors' unfamiliarity with the CATOBAR system and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-admiral-navy-too-much-new-tech-aircraft-carrier-ford-2021-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenges the US Navy has had with EMALS</a> suggest it will be some time before Fujian <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-new-aircraft-carrier-fujian-still-needs-long-testing-period-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reaches its full potential</a>.</p><p>The exact size and makeup of the Fujian's air wing is still not known, but it is expected to be larger than the roughly 36 aircraft carried by both Liaoning and Shandong and to include J-15 fighters and Z-18 helicopters.</p><p>In the future, Fujian's air wing may comprise <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/our-best-look-yet-at-chinas-j-35-carrier-capable-stealth-fighter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J-35 stealth fighters</a> (a naval version of the <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/the-fc-31-chinas-other-stealth-fighter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FC-31</a>), <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38680/this-is-our-best-look-yet-at-chinas-z-20f-seahawk-clone-toting-air-to-ground-missiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Z-20F</a> helicopters, and, thanks to EMALS, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutton/2020/09/13/chinas-new-carrier-plane-is-more-than-a-hawkeye-clone/?sh=4164fbd517a5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KJ-600 airborne early-warning</a> aircraft and even <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutton/2020/07/23/stealth-uavs-could-arm-chinas-type-076-assault-carrier/?sh=23b76c6e6f3d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carrier-based drones</a>.</p><h2>Vikrant</h2><div type="image" title="India aircraft carrier Vikrant" height="1100" width="1466" msid="93284325" hostid="261"></div><p>Vikrant was officially launched in 2013 and is expected to be commissioned on August 15, but it won't be India's first or only carrier.</p><p>India had former British carriers in service from 1961 to 1997 and from 1987 to 2016, and <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/ins-vikramaditya-aircraft-carrier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INS Vikramaditya</a>, a modified Kiev-class carrier purchased from Russia and commissioned in 2013, is the Indian navy's current flagship.</p><p>At 860 feet long and with a full displacement of about 45,000 tons, Vikrant is the biggest warship India has ever constructed. It was designed and built by India's largest shipbuilder, Cochin Shipyard Limited, and 76% of its components were developed domestically, according to India's Defense Ministry.</p><p>Vikrant is crewed by about 160 officers and 1,400 sailors and is powered by four gas turbines capable of generating 88 megawatts of power and of pushing it to a top speed of 28 knots. It can carry about 30 jets and helicopters, and like INS Vikramaditya, it uses a STOBAR system with a ski-jump ramp.</p><div type="image" title="India aircraft carrier Vikrant" height="742" width="990" msid="93284326" hostid="261"></div><p>Vikrant's initial air wing is expected to be made up of MiG-29Ks, the carrier version of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/combat-jets-russia-and-ukraine-are-using-in-ukraine-war-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Russian-made MiG-29</a>. The jet has served on INS Vikramaditya but its <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2021/12/28/the-indian-navys-mig-29s-keep-crashing-will-new-delhi-seek-a-replacement-fighter/?sh=510ac55c1b8c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poor track record</a> has led India to seek 26 new carrier-based fighters — the finalists are Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation's Rafale-M.</p><p>The F/A-18 has been the backbone of US Navy carrier aviation for decades, and Boeing has <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/07/f-a-18-super-hornet-completes-operational-demo-in-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demonstrated</a> its ability to operate on STOBAR decks in India. The Rafale-M has operated on the French aircraft carrier <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-frances-charles-de-gaulle-aircraft-carrier-is-no-joke-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles de Gaulle</a>, which uses catapults, and has been demonstrated <a href="https://www.spsnavalforces.com/features/?id=195&amp;h=Rafale-maritime-fighter-displays-ski-jump-capability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on an Indian STOBAR system</a>. (India's air force already operates the Rafale.)</p><p>India's <a href="https://eurasiantimes.com/better-than-rafale-super-hornet-meet-indias-indigenous-tedbf-fighters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HAL twin-engine fighter</a> has also been proposed as an indigenous aircraft for Vikrant. The new carrier's air wing is likely to be rounded out by a mix of <a href="http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/kamov_ka31.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KA-31</a>, <a href="https://www.navair.navy.mil/product/MH-60R-Seahawk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MH-60R</a>, and <a href="http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/dhruv.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HAL Dhruv</a> helicopters.</p><p>INS Vikrant is expected to play a major part in boosting the Indian Navy's capabilities in the face of a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/after-himalayan-clash-india-prepares-navy-to-take-on-china-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising Chinese threat in the waters around India</a>.</p>

Asia's 2 biggest militaries are both getting new aircraft carriers. Here's how China's and India's latest flattops stack up.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Relations between the US and <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> and between <keyword id="11892748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword> and <keyword id="11893449" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pakistan" source="Orion">Pakistan</keyword> are growing closer.</li><li>India and Pakistan are looking to boost their military capabilities, while the US and China are looking for support of their regional and global ambitions.</li></ul><p>In the final months of 2021, Pakistan <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/11/pakistan-navy-commissions-1st-type-054-a-p-frigate-pns-tughril/" target="_top">commissioned</a> the first of four Chinese-built Tughril-class frigates and <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2022/01/03/pakistan-confirms-chinese-firebird-fighter-acquisition/" target="_top">confirmed</a> its intentions to buy 25 of China's <a href="https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/j-10/" target="_top">J-10C</a> fighter jets.</p><p>Those are only the latest high-profile defense projects between Beijing and Islamabad, and they are emblematic of the growing relations between two countries with a common goal: countering the threat they see in India.</p><p>At the same time, India has increasingly turned to the US to meet its defense needs. The US has become a large supplier of arms to India over the past decade, and the two countries have deepened <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-intelligence-sharing-with-india-helps-monitor-chinese-military-2020-12" target="_top">their defense cooperation</a> as well.</p><p>The moves add another geopolitical layer to what was already one of the world's most intense rivalries.</p><h2>Old rivals seek new friends</h2><div type="image" title="Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Chinese J-10C jet" height="683" width="1024" msid="90400022" hostid="261"></div><p>Before China became Pakistan's chief arms supplier in the 1990s, Islamabad relied on the US for higher-end defense equipment and assistance — a partnership borne out of cooperation to oust the Soviets from Afghanistan in the 1980s.</p><p>China and Pakistan's military relationship dates to the 1960s, but in recent years, the Pakistani military's hardware has increasingly come from China or through joint Pakistani-Chinese ventures.</p><p>Virtually all of <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/11/19/pakistan-resumes-armor-modernization-as-terror-threat-recedes/" target="_top">Pakistan's main battle tanks</a> are exported Chinese models or variants of Chinese tanks developed in Pakistan, like the <a href="https://www.army-technology.com/projects/alzarrarmianbattleta/" target="_top">Al-Zarrar</a>. Pakistan has fielded upgraded variants of the <a href="https://www.armyrecognition.com/pakistan_pakistani_army_tanks_heavy_armoured_uk/al_khalid_al-khalid_main_battle_tank_technical_data_pictures.html" target="_top">Al-Khalid</a> tank, developed jointly with a Chinese firm and in production since 2001, and <a href="https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/pakistan-army-holds-induction-ceremony-for-vt4-mbt" target="_top">begun acquiring</a> Chinese-made <a href="https://www.armyrecognition.com/china_chinese_heavy_armoured_vehicle_tank_uk/vt4_mbt-3000_norinco_mbt_main_battle_tank_data_pictures_video.html" target="_top">VT-4</a> tanks.</p><p>The workhorse of Pakistan's Air Force is the <a href="https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/fc1xiaolongjf17thund/" target="_top">JF-17</a>, a fighter developed jointly with China and meant to replace Pakistan's aging Chinese-made J-7s. The PAF also <a href="https://eurasiantimes.com/satellite-image-reveals-chinese-predator-drones-armed-with-hellfire-type-missiles-stationed-at-pakistani-airbase/" target="_top">operates</a> a number of Chinese-made drones capable of strike missions.</p><p>As the PAF's use of its US-made F-16s is <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2019-12-11/state-department-reprimanded-pakistan-in-august-for-misusing-f-16s-document-shows" target="_top">limited</a> by the terms of their sale, buying J-10Cs may be an attempt to substitute or even replace the American fighter with one Pakistan can actually use against India.</p><div type="image" title="Pakistan Zulfiqar-class frigate Shamsheer" height="1337" width="2000" msid="90400023" hostid="261"></div><p>At sea, three of the Pakistani navy's four <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/sword-f22p/" target="_top">Zulfiquar-class</a> frigates were built in China like the Tughril-class frigates, the fourth of which was <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/12/chinese-shipyard-launches-two-type-054-frigates-and-one-type-071e-lpd/" target="_top">launched</a> in December.</p><p>China is also helping Pakistan <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/12/pakistan-cuts-steel-for-5th-hangor-class-submarine-pns-tasnim/" target="_top">build</a> eight Hangor-class submarines — a variant of China's <a href="https://news.usni.org/2015/08/31/essay-inside-the-design-of-chinas-yuan-class-submarine" target="_top">Type 039A</a> diesel-electric sub — splitting production between Chinese and Pakistani shipyards. They are expected to be delivered between 2022 and 2028 and will <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/10/pakistans-new-chinese-aip-submarines-image-shows-karachi-site/" target="_top">double</a> the size of Pakistan's submarine fleet.</p><p>The defense relationship <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/China-and-Pakistan-ink-military-MOU-to-counter-US-India-pact" target="_top">goes beyond</a> weapons sales. China and Pakistan <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1646630" target="_top">regularly</a> conduct <a href="https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/defense-security/importance-of-shaheen-exercises-for-pakistan-air-force-and-indian-concerns/" target="_top">joint</a> and multinational <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/east-asia-pacific_chinas-warships-hold-joint-naval-drill-pakistan/6182310.html" target="_top">military exercises</a>. Officials from both countries speak of their relationship in glowing terms, describing it as <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-China-and-terrorism" target="_top">"close as lips and teeth"</a> and <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/10161516/China-Pakistan-friendship-sweeter-than-honey-says-Nawaz-Sharif.html" target="_top">"sweeter than honey."</a></p><p>As its two fiercest rivals have deepened their defense ties, India has deepened its own military partnerships, in particular with Russia, which has for decades supplied India with advanced hardware.</p><p>The US has historically been reluctant to sell arms to India because of New Delhi's ties with Moscow and fears that those weapons may be used in a war in <keyword id="11893424" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="south-asia" source="Orion">South Asia</keyword>. But in recent years India has increased its purchases of defense equipment from the US and other Western countries.</p><div type="image" title="India Australia US Navy P-8" height="1125" width="1500" msid="90400024" hostid="261"></div><p>Since the signing of the <a href="http://library.rumsfeld.com/doclib/sp/3211/2005-06-28%20New%20Framework%20for%20the%20US-India%20Defense%20Relationship.pdf" target="_top">New Framework for the US-India Defense Relationship</a> in 2005, India has purchased <a href="https://theprint.in/defence/c-130j-super-hercules-lands-on-national-highway-heres-a-look-at-past-landings-on-expressways/730942/" target="_top">dozens</a> of US-made <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2019/08/india-takes-delivery-of-11th-c-17-globemaster-from-united-states/" target="_top">cargo</a> aircraft and <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-gets-final-batch-of-apache-attack-helicopters-amid-ongoing-standoff-with-china/articleshow/76896252.cms" target="_top">attack</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZXNXX1aS08" target="_top">transport</a> helicopters — including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-aircraft-boost-india-efforts-to-counter-china-at-sea-2021-7" target="_top">MH-60R Seahawk</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-more-us-made-sub-hunting-planes-2018-1" target="_top">P-8I maritime patrol planes</a>, both of which are important for Indian efforts to keep an eye on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/after-himalayan-clash-india-prepares-navy-to-take-on-china-2021-6" target="_top">increasing Chinese activity</a> in the <keyword id="13267637" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="indian-ocean" source="Orion">Indian Ocean</keyword>.</p><p>The F/A-18, the F-15EX, and the F-21 (an F-16 variant made just for India by Lockheed Martin) are all <a href="https://eurasiantimes.com/indias-20b-multi-role-fighter-aircraft-mrfa-contract-junk-us-fighters/" target="_top">in the running</a> to fill an Indian order for 114 new fighter jets. The F/A-18 is also <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/india-closing-fa-18-super-hornet-its-carrier-fighter-200384" target="_top">a contender</a> to be used aboard India's first domestically built aircraft carrier, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-first-indigenous-aircraft-carrier-ins-vikrant-sea-trails-7714755/" target="_top">INS Vikrant</a>.</p><p>The US has also sold India lethal weaponry such as <a href="https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/india-mk-54-lightweight-torpedoes-0" target="_top">torpedos</a>, anti-ship <a href="https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/india-agm-84l-harpoon-air-launched-block-ii-missiles" target="_top">missiles</a>, <a href="https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/india-mk-45-gun-system" target="_top">naval guns</a>, an anti-aircraft <a href="https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/india-integrated-air-defense-weapon-system-iadws-and-related-equipment" target="_top">system</a>, <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/army-to-get-firepower-boost-in-mountains-with-more-m777-guns-101636896249075.html" target="_top">M777 howitzers</a>, and 144,000 US-made <a href="https://theprint.in/defence/indian-army-to-order-second-batch-of-72000-sig-716-assault-rifles-from-us/459438/" target="_top">SIG716</a> rifles.</p><p>India's military participates in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-indian-soldiers-yudh-abhyas-exercise-alaska-amid-china-tension-2021-12" target="_top">land</a> and <a href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2021-10-14/quad-malabar-naval-drills-india-us-australia-japan-3237200.html" target="_top">naval</a> exercises with the US, and the two sides have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-intelligence-sharing-with-india-helps-monitor-chinese-military-2020-12" target="_top">expanded their intelligence-sharing</a> amid tensions along India's disputed border with China.</p><h2>Geopolitical realities</h2><div type="image" title="India China border guards" height="1648" width="2464" msid="90400025" hostid="261"></div><p>The developments in the China-Pakistan and US-India relationships reflect the geopolitical realities in South Asia and across the Asia-Pacific region.</p><p>India and Pakistan have looked to the US and to China to boost their military capabilities, while the US and China are looking to India and Pakistan to support their regional and global ambitions.</p><p>Pakistan's <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/the-implications-of-deepening-economic-ties-between-pakistan-china-/6443711.html" target="_top">reliance on China</a>, in particular Chinese investment in the <a href="https://www.cfr.org/blog/china-pakistan-economic-corridor-hard-reality-greets-bris-signature-initiative" target="_top">China-Pakistan Economic Corridor</a>, will only increase in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The withdrawal is also likely to reduce the US's commitment to Pakistan, as they are aligned on few other issues.</p><p>"The China-Pakistan relationship is deeper because China's goals are more aligned with what Pakistan wants, which is the ability to counter its main rival, India," Timothy Heath, a senior <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> and defense researcher at the Rand Corporation think tank, told Insider.</p><div type="image" title="Pakistan Gwadar port China Kashgar trade" height="1331" width="2000" msid="90400027" hostid="261"></div><p>"China hopes to keep a strong, relatively well-equipped and well-armed Pakistan as a partner, because from Beijing's perspective, that helps keep a potential rival — namely India — distracted and unable to cause more problems for China," Heath added.</p><p>Some in Pakistan <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/23/opinion/pakistan-united-states-china.html" target="_top">are wary</a> of going all-in on China and may seek rapprochement with the US, particularly if China grows reluctant to invest further in Pakistan's struggling economy. Beijing has also stopped short of making a military commitment to Pakistan — largely because it fears getting dragged into a full-blown conflict between Pakistan and India.</p><p>"They have a good deal where they use Pakistan to box in India and they stay outside and allow those two to bleed each other and beat each other up a little bit," Heath said.</p><p>While Beijing wants to avoid "extreme escalations," Heath said, "tensions of a low simmering type are useful for China."</p><p>For India, the US has emerged as a prime partner as Delhi grows more concerned with Chinese ambitions and the potential for conflict along its borders with both China and Pakistan.</p><div type="image" title="India Pakistan MiG-21 missiles" height="1331" width="2000" msid="90400028" hostid="261"></div><p>The US-India relationship is "primarily driven by a strategic convergence," said Rahul Bhatia, a research analyst at Carnegie India.</p><p>"New Delhi and Washington essentially want multipolarity in the Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order, which very loosely translates to containing China," Bhatia said, adding that "they need each other for that."</p><p>But despite a deepening defense relationship, India doesn't seek a full-fledged alliance with the US for a variety of political and economic reasons.</p><p>"When the US wants to sell a country arms, they are looking at building up a strategic partnership and interoperability. What India looks at when it's buying arms is building its own defense industrial base and the transfer of technology," Bhatia said.</p><p>Moreover, India does not want to break from its traditional stance of non-alignment.</p><p>"They want to maintain their strategic autonomy," Heath said. "That's a very deeply rooted tradition vigorously alive in India today."</p>

The US and China are picking sides in one of the world's most dangerous rivalries

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.boeing.com/defense/maritime-surveillance/p-8-poseidon/index.page#/gallery">Boeing</a></span></p><p class="caption">A Boeing P-8 Poseidon.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>India has bought 12 advanced sub-hunting planes to beef up its anti-submarine warfare capabilities.</strong></li><li><strong>India is looking to boost its military in response to a growing Chinese presence in the region, particularly under the waters of the Indian Ocean.</strong></li><li><strong>New Delhi is seeking out billions of dollars in foreign military hardware, including subs, ships, planes, and armored vehicles.</strong></li></ul><p><br />India's navy is considering adding to its fleet of P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, as the country shifts its military posture toward its southern approaches out of concern about Chinese naval activity.</p><p>India's Naval Chief Adm. Sunil Lanba <a href="http://www.indiastrategic.in/2018/01/13/indian-navy-looking-at-more-p-8i-submarine-killers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told India Strategic</a> magazine that aerial-surveillance capability was an important part of navy operations, and the country's <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword> Ministry has said the P-8I is able to provide "a punitive response and maintaining a watch over India's immediate and extended areas of interest."</p><p>New Dehli made its first purchase of the aircraft in 2009, not long after the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, during which attackers <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/27/mumbai.investigation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrived by boat</a>. India bought eight P-8I aircraft at the time, deploying them in 2013. It followed that with a purchase of four more in 2016, buying them at the 2009 price.</p><p><span>"A number of measures have been taken since '26/11' to strengthen maritime, coastal and offshore security by the concerned agencies in the country," Lanba said, including expanding maritime security forces' capabilities, enhancing surveillance in maritime zones, and streamlining intelligence-sharing.</span></p><p>While Lanba did not say how many long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft like the P-8I the Indian navy would ultimately require, his predecessors have said as many as 30.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/navy%E2%80%99s-long-range-maritime-patrol-aircraft-boeing-p-8i-dedicated-nation">Indian navy</a></span></p><p class="caption">One of India's P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, dedicated on November 13, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The P-8I, which is India's variant of Boeing's P-8 Poseidon aircraft, has some of the most sophisticated <a href="http://www.indiastrategic.in/2018/01/13/indian-navy-looking-at-more-p-8i-submarine-killers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-submarine-warfare technology</a> available, including Raytheon and Telefonics systems that provide 360-degree radar coverage. The plane also has a magnetic anomaly detector, which searches for shifts in the earth's magnetic field created by a submarine's hull.</p><p>The aircraft can carry Harpoon anti-ship missiles, depth charges, Mk-54 torpedoes, and rockets. The Indian variant <a href="http://www.indiastrategic.in/2018/01/13/indian-navy-looking-at-more-p-8i-submarine-killers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also has</a> specific communications software and Identify Friend or Foe abilities, allowing it to interoperate with Indian naval and air force systems. They can also data-link with Indian submarines to share information about target vessels.</p><h2>'<span>Our Navy is fully capable and ever ready'</span></h2><p>Anti-submarine warfare has become a focal point for the Indian military, and the US and India have <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/1940411/us-and-india-discuss-anti-submarine-warfare-latest-move-keep" target="_blank" rel="noopener">held talks</a> about related technology and tactics. Both countries have become increasingly wary of Chinese naval activity, particularly Chinese submarines, in recent years.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>US Navy/Chief Mass Communication Specialist Keith DeVinney</span></p><p class="caption">US Navy P-8A Poseidon crew members look out over the Indian Ocean during the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, April 8, 2014.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>China has also expanded its infrastructure in the region, including a presence at ports in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Djibouti</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-hoping-to-extend-maritime-reach-china-lavishes-aid-on-pakistan-town-2017-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakistan</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/indias-concern-with-beijing-expansion-grows-with-sri-lanka-port-deal-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a>.</span></p><p>India has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tracking Chinese submarines</a> entering the Indian Ocean since 2013, and a 2015 US Defense Department report confirmed that Chinese attack and missile submarines were operating there.</p><p><span>In mid-2016, Indian naval officials <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/1940411/us-and-india-discuss-anti-submarine-warfare-latest-move-keep" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> they were sighting Chinese subs four times every three months on average.</span></p><p>"As a professional military force, we constantly evaluate the maritime security environment in our areas of interest. We lay a lot of stress on Maritime Domain Awareness," Landa <a href="http://www.indiastrategic.in/2018/01/13/indian-navy-looking-at-more-p-8i-submarine-killers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> India Strategic when asked about hostile submarines operating in the Indian Ocean.</p><p>"Accordingly, we are fully seized of the presence and likely intentions of all extra-regional forces operating in the Indian Ocean," Landa said. "Our Navy is fully capable and ever ready to meet any challenges that may arise in the maritime domain."</p><h2>'<span>A tectonic shift'</span></h2><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Christopher Woody/Google Maps</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Some sightings of Chinese subs have taken place around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which sit near the Malacca Strait, through which more than 80% of Chinese fuel supplies pass.</span></p><p><span>New Delhi started deploying P-8I aircraft and spy drones to the islands in early 2016, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/To-fight-Chinas-Andaman-and-Nicobar-forays-India-deploys-submarine-hunters/articleshow/50632020.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with plans</a> to develop enough infrastructure and maintenance capabilities there to support a division-level force of about 15,000 troops, a fighter squadron, and some major warships. Other reports <a href="https://amti.csis.org/indias-undersea-wall-eastern-indian-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggest</a> India is considering installing an "undersea wall" of sensors in the eastern Indian Ocean.</span></p><p><span>Growing activity in the Indian Ocean, as well as the ocean's centrality to global trade and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amid-simmering-tension-with-china-india-is-increasing-naval-strength-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India's own security</a>, have led New Delhi to shift its focus to the country's 4,700-mile southern coastline, where security and energy infrastructure are concentrated.</span></p><p><span>"This is a tectonic shift in India's security calculus, that it has to protect its southern flank," Brahma Chellaney, a strategic-studies professor at the Center for Policy Research, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/world/asia/india-us-japan-war-games-china.html?smid=tw-nytimesworld&amp;smtyp=cur&amp;_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> The New York Times in July 2017, around the time of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/malabar-2017-photos-of-us-india-and-japan-war-games-in-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malabar 2017 naval exercises</a> between the US, India, and Japan.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/scorpene-class-submarine-kalvari-set-afloat-naval-dockyard-mumbai">Indian navy</a></span></p><p class="caption">India's first-in-class Kalvari submarine during floating at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai in October 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>India <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amid-simmering-tension-with-china-india-is-increasing-naval-strength-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has done</a> naval patrols and anti-submarine warfare exercises with partners in the region - in November, India, the US, Japan, and Australia <a href="http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2121474/us-japan-india-australia-quad-first-step-asian-nato" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the creation of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, defense partnership. New Delhi has also looked to expand its military, spending <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amid-simmering-tension-with-china-india-is-increasing-naval-strength-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tens of billions of dollars</a> on foreign fighter jets, armored vehicles, and naval vessels.</span></p><p><span>Subs have become of particular interest for India in light of growing Chinese naval activity in the region, <a href="http://www.indiastrategic.in/2017/12/14/ins-kalvari-commissioned-into-the-indian-navy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to India Strategic.</span></p><p><span>The Kalvari, the first of six diesel-electric attack submarines designed by a French firm and built in India, was commissioned in December. Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href="http://www.indiastrategic.in/2017/12/14/ins-kalvari-commissioned-into-the-indian-navy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the Kalvari a marquee example of the "Make in India" initiative, which aims to develop India's domestic arms industry through collaboration with foreign firms.</span></p><p><span>India has already contacted foreign shipbuilders about building <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-to-buy-submarines-amid-china-naval-activity-in-the-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six more nonnuclear subs</a>.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29658019">Indian Navy</a></span></p><p class="caption">INS Vikramaditya in the Baltic Sea during sea trials in 2013.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>The navy, citing concerns about China, has called for a third nuclear-powered carrier that incorporates US technology and is <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/indian-navy-plans-to-acquire-its-third-aircraft-carrier-for-a-whopping-rs-1-6-lakh-crore-1144836-2018-01-15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushing ahead</a> with plans to acquire such a carrier at an expected cost of nearly $25 billion.</p><p>The plan includes a component of 57 fighter aircraft, for which US F-18s and French Dassault Rafales are being considered. Aircraft acquisitions may push the price higher.</p><p>The expense of acquiring such a ship has given India's Defense Ministry pause, however, though others have argued that aircraft carriers are the best way to counter threats around the region.</p><p>"<span>As India does not have a policy of overseas basing, a carrier force remains the only suitable alternative for a regional power like India to conduct out-of-area contingencies," retired Indian Vice Adm. Shekhar Sinha <a href="http://www.indiastrategic.in/2016/12/08/relevance-of-aircraft-carriers-for-the-indian-navy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in December 2016.</span></p><p>The Indian navy has one operational carrier, INS Vikramaditya, which is a Russian Kiev-class carrier-cruiser <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2016/07/11/russia-offers-india-nuclear-aircraft-carrier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overhauled</a> by Moscow for the Indian navy between 2004 and 2013. The Vikramaditya <a href="https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/about-ins-vikramaditya-newest-largest-ship-indian-navy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">operates</a> Russian-made aircraft, including MiG 29K fighters, which India has asked Russia to "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amid-simmering-tension-with-china-india-is-increasing-naval-strength-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruggedize</a>" for carrier operations. The INS Vikrant, which is India's first domestically built carrier, is under construction.</p><p>In what appears to a sign of the Indian navy's move toward the US and away from Russia, American naval officials from a joint working group were invited aboard the Vikramaditya in late October to assess ways to transition Indian carriers to US naval operational concepts, <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/us-navy-aircraft-carrier-team-to-check-out-russian-built-ins-vikramaditya-117102900589_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to India's Business Standard.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/darpa-submarine-drones-dash-navy-bluefin-2016-12">The Navy is building an autonomous underwater drone to hunt down enemy submarines</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

You Searched For "INS Vikrant" and got 12 results

India's only aircraft carrier is going away for eight months, and it's not a good thing

BI India Bureau

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India has signed defence deals worth over $2 billion with Israel

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Say hello to India’s largest warship. It’s on its way

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Procurement of 26 Rafale jets for Navy approved

PTI

India's New Carrier Joins The Big Asian Arms Race

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68% of defence budget allocated for procuring indigenous equipment: PM

IANS

India is fast-tracking the development of its new aircraft carrier in order to compete with China

Jeremy Bender

This Is Why The New Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya Is Important For The Indian Navy

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Asia's 2 biggest militaries are both getting new aircraft carriers. Here's how China's and India's latest flattops stack up.

Benjamin Brimelow

The US and China are picking sides in one of the world's most dangerous rivalries

Benjamin Brimelow

With an eye on China, India is looking to buy more US-made advanced sub-hunting planes

Christopher Woody

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