Navy Submitted Formal Proposal to Govt for the Construction of 2nd Indigenous Aircraft Carrier

The Indian Navy has taken a significant step towards expanding its fleet, submitting a formal proposal to the government for the construction of a second domestically built aircraft carrier.

This bold move underscores India's determination to boost its defense manufacturing capabilities and its commitment to establishing naval dominance within the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Defence analysts view the addition of another aircraft carrier as pivotal in India's path toward achieving its regional ambitions. A strong naval force, with multiple carrier battle groups, is considered essential for projecting power and safeguarding maritime interests.

The proposal for a third carrier follows the landmark success of India's first indigenous carrier, INS Vikrant. Commissioned in 2022, the INS Vikrant represented a crucial turning point for India's defense industry.

The proposed carrier is anticipated to share design similarities with the INS Vikrant. However, modifications are likely to be made, including larger aircraft lifts to handle a broader range of planes.

Additionally, the design might be tailored to support operations of advanced High-Altitude, Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the future.

Currently, the government's decision on the proposal is pending. If greenlit, this project signifies a major investment in India's naval prowess, ultimately safeguarding its strategic position within the IOR.

 

[Pink Panther]

We need larger displacement not 45t displacement again and possibly with hybrid electric propulsion this time around, so that we can carry more jets, helicopters and personal, with these 3 Aircraft carriers and 4 Mistral amphibious assault ships we will be having 7 aircraft carriers in total, that is formidable, now we need to form carrier strike group for each carrier.

 

[sanket]

Navy Going very well , What about Air Force not even AoN issued for MRFA. Just Fast Track or Buy 114+26(Marine Rafale ) Under Make in India .After Induction of INS Vikrant & 26 Rafale Marine they want Another Aircraft carrier.

 

[Amit]

Hope it doesn't take 25 years to see it in the water...

 

[sanket]

We need larger displacement not 45t displacement again and possibly with hybrid electric propulsion this time around, so that we can carry more jets, helicopters and personal, with these 3 Aircraft carriers and 4 Mistral amphibious assault ships we will be having 7 aircraft carriers in total, that is formidable, now we need to form carrier strike group for each carrier.

Atleast 65T to 80T Displacement with 40 to 50 Fighters on Deck.

 

[Anant]

Perhaps go for a 50,000 ton or so variant with IEP?

Regardless, this is excellent news. Hope approval for the carrier will be received asap. Also, petition to name the ship Viraat.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Hope it doesn't take 25 years to see it in the water...

I believe 10 years is enough at max. Construction should take 8 years and 2 years for trials and induction to service. We have gained experience.

Of course if we go for some new advanced tech, new engines or propulsion system, then nothing can be said.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Navy Going very well , What about Air Force not even AoN issued for MRFA. Just Fast Track or Buy 114+26(Marine Rafale ) Under Make in India .After Induction of INS Vikrant & 26 Rafale Marine they want Another Aircraft carrier.

I am against MRFA. just rafale marine order should be enough for local production because after this order India would be the secomd larger user of rafales after france and havinf domestic capacity to manufacture it.

If MRFA is ordered it will take at least 5 years to setup domestic supply chain for it, amd even then many equipments would need to be imported, and given how there is severe backlog of rafales, who knows when those equipments would reach India and not go to those other export customers.

Best to invest the 10+ billion dollars to invest in domestic manufacturing. Once HAL receives orders, it gives further orders to its suppliers, MSMEs etc.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Main issue is that we dont have enough jets to man 3 aircraft carriers. An aircraft carrier is a super expensive proposition. Not only you spend 5-6 billion on the ship, but about that much on the jets/helicopters and thousands of crew members are needed.

 

[Satya Dev]

'Putting in one's papers' means that person is 'leaving his job'.

 

[desigandu]

Good, but the problem with India's Military planning and programs are adhocism vs. long term capability/build plans...We must continuously look/plan for 25-30+ years (that are adjusted say every 5 years as needed but so as not jeopardize the long term)...Unless this happens, we will continue to struggle with gaps in capability, adhoc and one time approvals such as IAC-2...Also GOI should enable such planning (change laws, policies and procedures along with Theaterization - Western, Northern and IOR, where fighting is done by the Theaters and the Forces (Army, Navy, Air/SpaceForce, other independent commands) focus on recruitment, basic training, capability builds, planning etc...) backed up with a formal National Security Strategy and a $100-250B non-lapsable Military Development Fund (over 10 years rolling forward) along with annual budget outlays (at least 2.5% of GDP going towards 3%)...Planning, funding and a long term approach can mitigate delays, wrinkles, political obstacles and other decision making variables (R&D, DRDO, HAL etc, also must be transformed)...BTW - we should have 4 carriers...2 carriers in the 45000 Ton class (with this IAC-2 which should come with IEP and Drone capabilities) and also launch efforts (now) for 2 more bigger carriers (65-75000 Ton class with the 2nd one being nuclear propulsion as that will take time) to be operationalized (so the build of the first needs to start by 2027) in 2035 and 2040 (this in addition to P-18s, P-76s, LPDs etc.).

 

[GMR]

That's great.. we need 2 operational ACs at all time for our vast coastal boundries on both sides. All the best to IN 👍👍

 

[GMR]

I am against MRFA. just rafale marine order should be enough for local production because after this order India would be the secomd larger user of rafales after france and havinf domestic capacity to manufacture it.

If MRFA is ordered it will take at least 5 years to setup domestic supply chain for it, amd even then many equipments would need to be imported, and given how there is severe backlog of rafales, who knows when those equipments would reach India and not go to those other export customers.

Best to invest the 10+ billion dollars to invest in domestic manufacturing. Once HAL receives orders, it gives further orders to its suppliers, MSMEs etc.

😃 putting the future of our Air force in the hands of HAL, 100%???
Without MRFA, our squarden strength will be pathetic in 10-15 yrs..

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

😃 putting the future of our Air force in the hands of HAL, 100%???
Without MRFA, our squarden strength will be pathetic in 10-15 yrs..

If we dont trust HAL, who do we trust. HAL has improved in recent years. It did deliver prachand helicopter, ALH, LUH. It has started delivery of tejas mk1a.

 

[Venkatakrishnan H]

Wow Finally!

 

[sanket]

I believe 10 years is enough at max. Construction should take 8 years and 2 years for trials and induction to service. We have gained experience.

Of course if we go for some new advanced tech, new engines or propulsion system, then nothing can be said.

May b EMALs

 

[Anant]

I believe 10 years is enough at max. Construction should take 8 years and 2 years for trials and induction to service. We have gained experience.

Of course if we go for some new advanced tech, new engines or propulsion system, then nothing can be said.

Agreed. Assuming, however, that the design were to be modified (significant enlarging, IEP, etc.), one can add another 2 years to that.

 

[Anant]

I am against MRFA. just rafale marine order should be enough for local production because after this order India would be the secomd larger user of rafales after france and havinf domestic capacity to manufacture it.

If MRFA is ordered it will take at least 5 years to setup domestic supply chain for it, amd even then many equipments would need to be imported, and given how there is severe backlog of rafales, who knows when those equipments would reach India and not go to those other export customers.

Best to invest the 10+ billion dollars to invest in domestic manufacturing. Once HAL receives orders, it gives further orders to its suppliers, MSMEs etc.

We wouldn't be the second-largest Rafale user. The UAE already has 80 Rafales on order, which pushes us to #3 after the Rafale M order. Moreover, Egypt is considering another 18-36 Rafales. If that order materialises, we will be down to #4.

As for MRFA, I don't quite agree with you. I am still convinced it is a necessity thanks to delays in local development and procurement, but the points you raise are fairly good ones.

 

[sanket]

Main issue is that we dont have enough jets to man 3 aircraft carriers. An aircraft carrier is a super expensive proposition. Not only you spend 5-6 billion on the ship, but about that much on the jets/helicopters and thousands of crew members are needed.

TEDBF may take First Flight by 2035 , so atleast 100 TEDBF can b inducted for 3 AC .

 

[Pink Panther]

I am against MRFA. just rafale marine order should be enough for local production because after this order India would be the secomd larger user of rafales after france and havinf domestic capacity to manufacture it.

If MRFA is ordered it will take at least 5 years to setup domestic supply chain for it, amd even then many equipments would need to be imported, and given how there is severe backlog of rafales, who knows when those equipments would reach India and not go to those other export customers.

Best to invest the 10+ billion dollars to invest in domestic manufacturing. Once HAL receives orders, it gives further orders to its suppliers, MSMEs etc.

MRFA is fine as long as we go for the cheapest 4th jen get possible, I am gainst $300Mln 4th gen jet.

 

[Pink Panther]

We wouldn't be the second-largest Rafale user. The UAE already has 80 Rafales on order, which pushes us to #3 after the Rafale M order. Moreover, Egypt is considering another 18-36 Rafales. If that order materialises, we will be down to #4.

As for MRFA, I don't quite agree with you. I am still convinced it is a necessity thanks to delays in local development and procurement, but the points you raise are fairly good ones.

Saudi might get 90-100 Rafale's, the maximum Rafale's we would have for ever would be 62 = 36 + 26, if history is any indicator, like Mirages, GOI would only buy 50-60 jets from French, buying even one additional squadron of Rafales is highly doubtful, unless France offers Rafale for under $100Mln each to keep India as it's customer..

 

[Guru]

Waste of public funds as a non nuclear propulsion will not allow the AC to go beyond a few thousand miles. Forget about sailing to South China Sea and blocking Chinese ports in case of a war with China. If at all India has to build it has to build a large aircraft carrier with nuclear propulsion and capability to launch netra awacs type of aircraft far away from Indian shores.

In peace time and anti piracy ops friendly nations like singapore and Philippines may offer their ports for refueling and replishenment, in war time they may refuse. So an aircraft carrier that is limited in power is uselss for power projections.

 

[NSR]

MRFA is fine as long as we go for the cheapest 4th jen get possible, I am gainst $300Mln 4th gen jet.

When I write about $300 millions per 4+ generation Rafale cost, others down vote me without any kinds of analyses at all.
114*$300 million = $33+ billions, way too expensive for a 4+ gen fighter.

France/Dassault/Safran Bhakts gangs up on me without even reading the cost and impact on domestic programs.

India can get its own Tejas Mk2, TEDBF and AMCA for that investment.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

Considering we will have it inducted in next 10-15 years. Also, INS Vikramaditya may serve us till 2050. Essentially from 2040 to 2050 we will have good naval power.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

TEDBF may take First Flight by 2035 , so atleast 100 TEDBF can b inducted for 3 AC .

but 3rd AC will be ready by 2035. and the Mig 29K which are our carrier capable fighter jets will start retiring by then. We dont have any other carrier fighter other than few dozen mig-29s.

 

[Pink Panther]

When I write about $300 millions per 4+ generation Rafale cost, others down vote me without any kinds of analyses at all.
114*$300 million = $33+ billions, way too expensive for a 4+ gen fighter.

France/Dassault/Safran Bhakts gangs up on me without even reading the cost and impact on domestic programs.

India can get its own Tejas Mk2, TEDBF and AMCA for that investment.

Absolutely we can do a lot of research on local products with $33Bln, spending $33Bln on a 4th gen jet is worthless.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

We wouldn't be the second-largest Rafale user. The UAE already has 80 Rafales on order, which pushes us to #3 after the Rafale M order. Moreover, Egypt is considering another 18-36 Rafales. If that order materialises, we will be down to #4.

As for MRFA, I don't quite agree with you. I am still convinced it is a necessity thanks to delays in local development and procurement, but the points you raise are fairly good ones.

I had written that we will be 2nd largest ustomer with capability to produce it domestically. Neither UAE, Egypt or Qatar can ever hope to produce rafale, so India is only option.

Yeah, I am more optimistic about HAL. I mean if we dont trust it, who do we trust, and more importantly who trusts HAL. I trust the current govt more. They would whip the HAL leaders if they screw up, or if IAF does its shenanigans.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

May b EMALs

lol, that is not even in our dreams.

 

[Anant]

May b EMALs

Won't happen. Our indigenous EMALS system is still in design, and while a small prototype does exist, it is nowhere near large enough to put on a carrier. Give them a few more years for that, and IAC-III will have those catapults. Not sure about the progress on an AAG (Advanced Arresting Gear) system, though.

Also, the US EMALS and AAG systems are too expensive , costing somewhere around a billion dollars.

 

[Tanishq Bafila]

Atleast 65T to 80T Displacement with 40 to 50 Fighters on Deck.

Sorry to tell you buddy but we can't make a 65T or 80T IAC2 , because we have to make a completely new design & it will take more years in R&D and cost will go high , US EMALS is of 30% of the cost of IAC1 and DRDO thing will take time + we don't have that much money to spend on a single project & neglect Submarine acquisition projects

It better to buy a IAC 2 with close to 50T displacement & get expertise from US/ UK & fit 30 Fighter jets onboard with MALE UAVs & Plan indigenous EMALS & 65T design for the IAC 3