Background History on Naval Carrier Acquisition

In this brief 2006 article, former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, describes the historical ups and downs in acquiring an aircraft carrier by the Navy and related issues that went into decision making of building an in-house carrier, Air Defence Ship (ADS). He also briefly outlines future of Bharatiya Navy - plans that mirror plans drawn up in 1948, finally picking up where the mighty British Navy left off sixty years prior.

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The staff requirements having been finalized in 1999, the ADS emerged, in its definitive form, as a 37,000-ton vessel, to be powered by four LM-2500 gas turbines in COGAG arrangement, which would give it a top speed of 28 knots. The 830ft long angled flight deck would have a set of three arrester wires aft rated to handle aircraft of up to 22-ton all-up weight. A set of jet blast deflectors and hydraulic chocks would be installed to provide a 600ft deck run for launch of the Mig-29K and LCA (Navy), from the 14º ski-jump launch using afterburner. The ship would carry an air group of 30 aircraft and helicopters and would be crewed by about 1400 personnel... ...the Indian Navy aims to fulfil its long-term operational commitments in the IOR by deploying two carrier task forces at sea, while a third ship is under maintenance or refit. This would be the embodiment of a concept mooted in our plans as far back as 1948. [India’s Quest for an Indigenous Aircraft Carrier]

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