New Aircraft Carrier: Is Multiple Approach Feasible?

India launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, built in Cochin Shipyard, on August 12, 2013 two days after the activation of India’s first nuclear submarine ‘Arihant’.  Though launch of INS Vikrant was delayed by because of sourcing specialized steel from Russia, it still was constructed in record time, the keel having been laid on February 28, 2009. Completion of the first stage of the 40,000-ton vessel’s construction itself marked India’s entry into the elite group of nations capable of designing and building an aircraft carries, others being Britain, France, the US and Russia. 

INS Vikrant’s deck can enable operations by 36 fighter planes like the Mig-29K and and naval variant of the Tejas, with the time interval between take-offs from the vessel as low as three minutes or less. It can also carry accommodate  10 x Kamov Ka-31 (to meet airborne early warning (AEW) requirements) or Westland Sea King Helicopters for anti-submarine warfare (ASW).

INS Vikrant is the first aircraft carrier of the Vikrant-class to be built in India. Aircraft carriers have a major role in India’s defence and where 90% of trade is by sea. While seaborne terror and piracy are key challenges to maritime security the Indo-Pacific and IOR is veering towards becoming the centre of gravity of future conflict, with China already challenging freedom of navigation disrespecting global commons in South China Sea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared during the recent International Fleet Review hosted by India that IOR remains his government’s priority given India’s 1,200 island territories, and its huge Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.4 million sq km, and the region serving “as a strategic bridge with the nations in our (India’s) immediate and extended maritime neighbourhood.” Underlining the need for a “modern and multi-dimensional Navy,” Modi stressed that India would continue to actively pursue and promote its geo-political, strategic and economic interests on the seas, in particular the Indian Ocean.

The media now reports that India is likely to shortly announce a tendering procedure for building its fourth aircraft carrier. Naturally, countries like the US, Russia and France are interested especially since the news about India going for a new aircraft carrier has been doing the rounds for several months.

The French delegation that visited India in late January this year reportedly proposed the naval version of the Dassault Rafale jet, to complement its future bid for India’s fourth aircraft carrier project. The US too is eyeing the lucrative contract. US Admiral John Richardson visiting India during February 2016 said India and the US are making progress in talks on the joint development of an aircraft carrier for India, potentially the biggest military collaboration between the two countries.

He affirmed that the two sides had held talks on a range of issues relating to the next generation Indian carrier from its design to construction including electromagnetic launch technology that enables a navy to fly heavier planes from a carrier. With the US Defence Secretary visiting India shortly coinciding with the next round of the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), the issue will perhaps top the agenda. India and US had agreed to work together on aircraft carrier technology and jet engines during  President Barack Obama's visit to India last year.

At the same time, news reports from Russia say that the Russia offering its new multipurpose heavy aircraft carrier design called Project 23000E Shtorm is the front runner for India’s new aircraft carrier, the  project having gone public for the first time at the Army-2015 show near Moscow, where a scale model of the ship was exhibited. 

It was in February 2015 that Russian media reported the Krylov Research Centre in St. Petersburg was on its way towards developing another aircraft carrier. The design was under conceptual testing in Krylov’s laboratory. There was no announcement of what shipyard would be able to build the carrier.

The super-carrier project was code-named Project 23000E or ‘Shtrom’. The ‘Shtorm’ aircraft carrier is to have a displacement of up to 100,000 tons, is 330 meters long, 40 meters wide, and has a draft of 11 meters. It has a nuclear power plant, although initial plans state a conventional one may also be used.

The ship is designed to sail at up to 30 knots (55 km/h) and withstand waves up to nine meters high. The ‘Shtorm’ can remain 120 days at sea before needing a port. It will have a crew of 4,000 to 5,000 and deploy up to 100 aircraft. The air wing will include naval versions of T-50s (PAK FA) currently in development and MiG-29Ks, as well as early warning radar aircraft, most likely Yak-44Es.

Though India built INS Vikrant indigenously, Russia helped design and build it jointly in conjunction Italy. Significantly, INS Viktant had cost US$ 7.7 billion while Defence Minister Parrikar recently revealed discovering India was paying US (DoD) for new weaponry, even though $3 billion which had been earlier remitted by India to Pentagon was lying forgotten.

Indian Navy is already the prime user of MiG-29Ks and while the S-400 Triumf is to be acquired from Russia, the project for FGFA too is being progressed. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is a significant milestone of Indo-Russian defence collaboration, which has great potential for export.

The cost of the ‘Shtrom’ aircraft carrier was estimated between US$1.8 billion and US$5.63 billion (at August 2015 exchange rates), with development expected to take ten years. The carrier is being considered for service with the Russian Navy's Northern fleet. Russia will be very keen to collaborate with India for building the new aircraft carrier because Russia currently does not have a yard capable of building aircraft carriers, all previous Soviet aircraft carriers having been built in a shipyard at Mykolaiv which is now in Ukraine. So logically, if the ‘Shtrom’ is to be built in India, it should service the Russian Navy’s requirements too.

There are indications we may have multiple production lines to meet IAF’s fighter aircraft shortages. Considering that INS Viraat is slated for decommissioning and India’s concerns at sea are enormous, can the Modi Government go for building two aircraft carriers simultaneously – one based on Russia’s ‘Shtrom’ and another with US collaboration? Strategic requirements certainly demand. It will be interesting to watch what line of action the government chooses.