INS Vikramaditya

Why is in news? Chief of Defence Staff visits Karwar Naval Base & aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya

It is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier which entered into service with the Indian Navy in 2013.

It has been renamed in honour of Vikramaditya, a legendary emperor of Ujjain, India.

The carrier served with the Soviet Navy and later with the Russian Navy (as Admiral Gorshkov) before being decommissioned in 1996.

It was later bought by India in 2004 for $2.33bn. It was commissioned in 2013 after refurbishing.

Features:

It has an overall length of about 284 meters and a maximum beam of about 60 meters.

The ship has a total of 22 decks. It can carry more than 1,600 personnel, including crew.

Displacement: 44,500 Tonnes

It has a maximum speed of more than 30 knots and can achieve a maximum range of 7,000nmi.

It can endure up to 45 days at sea.

It is powered by 08 new-generation steam boilers.

The ship has the ability to carry over 30 aircraft comprising an assortment of MiG 29K/Sea Harrier, Kamov 31, Kamov 28, Sea King, ALH-Dhruv and Chetak helicopters.

The aircraft carrier can be armed with a wide range of weapons, including anti-ship missiles, beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, guided bombs, and rockets.

The ship is equipped with state-of-the-art launch and recovery systems along with aids to enable smooth and efficient operation of ship-borne aircraft.