Even though INS Vikrant is headed for “guarantee refit” at Cochin shipyard, INS Vikramaditya is fully operational and ready to chart Indo-Pacific. The synchronized war drill was watched by top naval commanders as India projected its dominance in the Indian Ocean. Even though INS Vikrant is headed for its mandatory “guarantee refit”, the INS Vikramaditya carrier is fully operational after a major overhaul last year and will be charting oceans this year. The Indian Navy is also expected to get 10 Sikorsky multi-role helicopters from the US by the end of this year with remaining joining the fleet next year. While the Indian Navy is projecting demand for a third aircraft carrier, the Navy has plans to deploy one carrier on the east and another carrier on the western seaboard of India with mission specific deployments and no maritime diplomacy.

Source: Hindustan Times June 12, 2023 04:54 UTC