The basin trials of the maiden indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) were successfully conducted at Cochin Shipyard Limited on Monday.
The Navy said that the carrier would now be taken out to the sea in the first half of 2021 for extensive trials before induction.
The basin trials were aimed at proving the main propulsion plant of the ship in harbour.
On board the carrier, which will be named Vikrant upon commissioning, trials of all four LM2500 gas turbines, main gear boxes, shafting and controllable pitch propellers, along with their integrated control systems, were conducted and proven. In addition, major auxiliary equipment and systems such as steering gear, air conditioning plants, compressors, centrifuges, all 60 critical pumps, power generation and distribution system, major machinery of fire-fighting and de-flooding systems, all deck machinery as well as entire internal communication equipment were proven during the harbour phase trials, the Navy said in a communication.
Vice Admiral A.K. Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, and Madhu S. Nair, Chairman and Managing Director, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), which has built the carrier, were present on the occasion.
The Navy said that the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 notwithstanding, the shipyard and the Navy worked closely together to ensure timely completion of all essential tasks leading up to the basin trials.
N.V. Suresh Babu, Director, Operations, of CSL; Commodore Ishan Tandon, Director, Carrier Acceptance Trial Team (CATT); Commodore Sameer Aggarwal, Chief Staff Officer (Technical), Southern Naval Command; Commodore Cyril Thomas, Warship Production Superintendent (WPS), and Commodore Vivek Dahiya, Commanding Officer (Designated), also witnessed the event.
The carrier has close to 75% of the material and equipment, indigenously sourced.
