Indigenous Aircraft Carrier’s nucleus ready

The nucleus of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), India’s first ship being built using the modular construction (block-building) method, is ready. The engine and diesel generator rooms and two of the 21 blocks of the 40,000-tonne vessel, designed by the navy’s directorate of naval design, have been completed.

The 260-metre-long and 60-metre-broad gas turbine ship will be powered by four American GE LM 2500 aviation engines which generate 80 MW, enough to attain speed in excess of 28 knots. The vessel, which is expected to be ready by 2013, will have six generators of three mega Watts each.

A source said the blocks being made separately will come up vertically till a certain length. After which a long flight deck, capable of operating Russian MiG-29K, Ka-31 and the indigenous naval light combat aircraft Tejas, will be laid on them.

The keel of the ship being manufactured by Cochin Shipyard was laid in February 2009 by the defence minister, after the government sanctioned its design and construction in January 2003. The vessel will have two take-off runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires. It will have the capacity to carry a maximum of 30 aircraft with sufficient hangars to house them.

IAC’s construction has been planned in two phases. The first phase covers work up to the first launch by the end of this year, while the second phase would cover all remaining work till its delivery for sea trials towards the end of 2013.