World News | Why is China wary of INS Vikrant?

New Delhi [India]4th September (ANI): India’s introduction of its first indigenous aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, will curb China’s nefarious intent to control the Indo-Pacific region.

As preparations for India’s third aircraft carrier have started, it sends a clear message to China and Pakistan that its nefarious design fits with the theme of a “ready, reliable and cohesive force” in the Indian Ocean region.

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On September 2, India acquired its first indigenous aircraft carrier “INS Vikrant”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the aircraft carrier at the Cochin Shipyard in Kerala.

A CNN report said the aircraft carrier made India an “elite alliance of world naval powers” and an AFP article praised it as “a government effort to counter China’s growing presence in the region.” Milestones in Military Confidence”.

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INS Vikrant is a force multiplier and will be a “game changer” in the current regional maritime security dynamics as IAC will enhance India’s maritime defence capabilities with the in-service aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

As we all know, China, which has been showing an increasingly aggressive stance on its land border with India, is also trying to gain a foothold in the Indian Ocean, which is increasingly becoming an arena for India-China contests.

To that end, China has secured a naval outpost in Djibouti and invested in the development of Pakistan’s Gwadar port. The Chinese navy will use these base facilities to support its ships.

China also recently launched its third aircraft carrier, Fujian, and is rapidly building two more, including its fleet of destroyers and frigates. Based on satellite imagery estimates, the ship’s flight deck is about 320m long and 80m wide, and is known as the Type 003 aircraft carrier.

India and China recently quarreled over a Chinese “spy ship” docking at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port for a seven-day resupply, with India strongly objecting to security concerns.

Sri Lanka initially requested a delay in the ship’s arrival due to objections from India, but it was finally granted after “extensive high-level consultations”. These developments have caught the attention of Indian security agencies.

While India has become the preferred security provider for its littoral countries, China cannot be the first choice for countries in the Southeast Asian region.

China’s claim in the Indian Ocean waters is to protect its maritime lines of communication through the Straits of Malacca and Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz accounts for 40% of China’s oil imports, and the Strait of Malacca accounts for 82% of China’s oil imports, commonly known as the “Hormuz-Malacca Dilemma”, which is why China is trying to encircle it. India surrounds India’s neighbors and various neighboring island nations by building a series of naval bases.

The String of Pearls is a network of Chinese military and commercial bases from mainland China to Port Sudan in the Horn of Africa.

The network passes through important maritime chokepoints, including the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Mandeb, the Pakistani port of Gwadar and the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota.

China has long wanted to control the Indo-Pacific region, which is critical to its security and commercial shipping. The String of Pearls is an initiative of China in this direction. But with the introduction of INS Vikrant, India is now ready to curb the Chinese pearl chain.

Notably, the INS Vikrant is “the largest ship in Indian maritime history” and can operate a fleet of 30 aircraft, including fighter jets and multi-role helicopters. It is designed for highly automated mechanical operation, ship navigation and survivability.

Designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a public sector shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Vikrant features state-of-the-art automation and is the largest ship in Indian maritime history.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “The Vikrant is more than a warship. This is a testament to India’s hard work, talent, influence and commitment in the 21st century”.

With the commissioning of the Vikrant, India joins countries such as the US, UK, Russia, China and France in having a niche capability to design and build aircraft carriers in-house.

He further added that the aircraft carrier gave the country a “new confidence” and announced that India has taken another step towards becoming a developed country.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Vikrant’s service showed India was “fully capable of meeting the collective security needs of the region” and that the Indian Navy was ready to deal with any crisis.

The INS Vikrant, costing around Rs 20,000 crore, successfully completed its fourth and final stage of sea trials last month. With the construction of the Vikrant, India has joined a group of countries with a niche capability to design and build aircraft carriers in-house.

With a top speed of about 28 knots and an endurance of 7,500 nautical miles, the IAC can be easily deployed into areas of potential threat. The 262-meter-long, 62-meter-high aircraft carrier, which can carry 1,600 sailors and displace around 43,000 tons, will bolster its naval capabilities amid growing concerns about the Chinese regime’s assertiveness in the region.

The ship has more than 2,300 compartments and is designed for a crew of about 1,700, including cabins dedicated to female officers.

The Vikrant has a top speed of approximately 28 knots, a cruising speed of 18 knots and a range of approximately 7,500 nautical miles. The aircraft carrier is 262 meters long, 62 meters wide and 59 meters high. Its keel was laid in 2009.

The commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier marks a momentous moment in the 75th year of India’s “Amlikar” independence, marking the country’s confidence and strength.

The homegrown aircraft carrier is a testament to the country’s technical acumen and engineering skills. This demonstration of India’s self-sufficient production of aircraft carrier warships will strengthen the country’s defence localisation programme and “Make in India” movement. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, the body of the content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)