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Aircraft Carrier R33 - INS Vikramaditya ex RFS Admiral Gorshkov / ex Soviet Baku |
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Builder: Chernomorskiy Yard, Nikolayev (Ukraine) STATUS: Soviet and Russian Federation Navy: ex Soviet Kiev class Aircraft Carrier originally planned and built as 'Baku' Builder: Chernomorskiy Yard, Nikolayev (Ukraine) Laid down: February 17, 1978 Launched: April 1, 1982 Commissioned: December 11, 1987 (Baku) renamed Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov in 1991 Decommissioned: 1996 Indian Navy: Sold to India: January 20, 2004 refurbished at Sevmash Shipyard, Severodvinsk, Russia renamed R33 INS Vikramaditya Re-launched: December 4, 2008 Completed: April 19, 2012 Commissioned: November 16, 2013 IN SERVICE Homeport: INS Kadamba (Naval Base Karwar) Namesake: Vikramaditya means 'Valour comparable to the sun' Motto: Durakshaya Sarlakshaya (Strike Far, Strike Sure) Specifications: Displacement: 45,000 tonnes (full load) Lenght: 284 meters (932 feet) Beam: 61 m (200 ft) Draft: 10.2 m (33 ft) Speed: 30+ knots (56+ km/h) Range: 13,500 NMI (25,000 km) at 18 knots Complement: ~1,610 Propulsion: 8 x turbo-pressurised boilers 4 x geared steam turbines 180,000 horsepower (134,226 kW) output 4 shafts / 4 propellers Armament: 3 x 8-cell Vertical Launching System (VLS) for Barak 1 SAM missiles 4 x AK-630 Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) Aviation: Flight deck: 284 x 61 meters (932 x 200 ft) with 14° ski-jump Hangar deck: 130 x 22.5 x 6.6 meters up to 36 aircraft: Mikoyan MiG-29K Fulcrum-D fighter jet Kamov Ka-31 Helix AEW&C helicopter Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopter HAL Chetak HAL Dhruv MH-60R Seahawk Systems: Long-range Air Surveillance Radars LESORUB-E, Resistor-E radar complex CCS MK II communication complex Link II tactical data system |
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                          3 x 8 cell Vertical Launching System / VLS for IAI Barak 1 SAM missiles IN RUSSIAN SERVICE:  in Russian service as "Baku" - Kiev class/Soviet Project 1143 Krechyet aircraft carrier/aviation cruiser  in Russian service as "Baku" - Kiev class/Soviet Project 1143 Krechyet aircraft carrier/aviation cruiser  in Russian service as "Baku" - Kiev class/Soviet Project 1143 Krechyet aircraft carrier/aviation cruiser  in Russian service as "Baku" - Kiev class/Soviet Project 1143 Krechyet aircraft carrier/aviation cruiser  in Russian service as "Baku" - Kiev class/Soviet Project 1143 Krechyet aircraft carrier/aviation cruiser  in Russian service as "Baku" - Kiev class/Soviet Project 1143 Krechyet aircraft carrier/aviation cruiser |
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R33 INS Vikramaditya: INS Vikramaditya is a conventionally powered STOBAR ("short take-off but arrested recovery") aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. It is a modified Kiev class aircraft cruiser purchased from Russia and entered into service in 2013. Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet Navy and later with the Russian Navy (as Admiral Gorshkov) before being decommissioned in 1996. After years of negotiations, the carrier was purchased by India on 20 January 2004. The transformed ship completed her sea trials in July 2013 and first naval aviation trials in September 2013. Vikramaditya was commissioned on 16 November 2013 at a ceremony held at Severodvinsk, Russia. On 14 June 2014, the newly elected Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, formally inducted Vikramaditya into the Indian Navy. After commissioning, the carrier began a continuous 26-day journey of 10,212 nmi (18,913 km; 11,752 mi) to its homeport at INS Kadamba, Karwar, from Severodvinsk on 27 November 2013, with a short stopover in Lisbon. She was under the command of Commodore Suraj Berry, her first Indian captain. Apart from her Indian crew, she also carried 177 Russian specialists from Sevmash, who would remain on board for one year, as part of the 20-year post-warranty services contract with the shipyard. During the journey, she encountered a storm in the Barents Sea, where she linked up with her escorts frigate INS Trikand and fleet tanker INS Deepak. The group was escorted by the Royal Navy frigate HMS Monmouth while passing through the English Channel and was joined by destroyer INS Delhi near Gibraltar. The flotilla sailed in the Mediterranean Sea, passed through the Suez Canal and entered the Arabian Sea near the Gulf of Aden on 1 January 2014. She was received nearly 1,200 nautical miles (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) away from Indian shores by a large flotilla of the Western fleet. It was composed of the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, two Delhi-class destroyers, three Talwar-class frigates, the frigate INS Godavari, and a couple of offshore patrol vessels, including INS Subhadra. The event was significant as the Indian Navy operated two aircraft carriers simultaneously for the first time in 20 years. After conducting basic sea exercises with the fleet, Vikramaditya reached Karwar on 7 January 2014. Navy pilots of INAS 303 "Black Panthers" operating the MiG-29K practised carrier operations at the shore-based test facility (SBTF) in INS Hansa, Dabolim, Vasco-da-Gama. The first aircraft piloted by an Indian Navy pilot landed on the carrier on 8 February 2014. Since then, the pilots and air controllers have been certified to operate the MiG-29K fighters from the carrier deck, including night landings. The carrier's air wing will consist of 16 MiG-29Ks, including four KUB trainers, six airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) Kamov Ka-31 and Kamov Ka-28 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. In May 2014, the carrier was declared operationally deployed along with its embarked air group comprising MiG-29Ks and had taken part in a war game conducted by the Western Naval Command. On 14 June 2014, the Prime Minister of India dedicated the carrier to the country. On 21–22 January 2016, Vikramaditya, accompanied by INS Mysore, made her first overseas port visit when the ship visited Colombo in Sri Lanka, making the first visit of an Indian warship to the city in 30 years, and the first by an aircraft carrier in more than 40 years. On 15–18 February 2016, Vikramaditya accompanied by two ships, Mysore and Deepak, made a goodwill visit to Malé, Maldives. A State Bank of India ATM was opened onboard Vikramaditya on 21 January 2017, making her the first Indian Navy ship to have an ATM. In January 2020, Vikramaditya was used to undertake the first carrier trials of the naval version of the HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. Over eight to ten days, the Tejas was launched and recovered several times as part of the aircraft's initial test phase. The Tejas was the first indigenous Indian aircraft to both land on and take off from an Indian aircraft carrier. In June 2023, Indian Navy showcased the dual carrier operations including INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant (R11). The exercise included 35 aircraft including MiG 29K, MH 60R, Kamov Ka 31, Sea King, Chetak and HAL Dhruv. This helped in the integration of the aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy and displayed the maritime prowess of India. In mid February 2024, Vikrant and Vikramaditya participated in Milan 2024 multinational naval exercise hosted by Indian Navy along with other ships, submarines and aircraft of friendly foreign nations. The concluding ceremony of the sea phase of the exercise was hosted on board Vikrant. In late February and early March 2024, the two carriers were again deployed for conducting joint operations on various locations along the Indian coastline with escorts. In the first week of March, while Vikramaditya was hosting the first half of the Indian Navy's Biannual Naval Commanders' Conference 2024, both carriers launched MiG-29K fighters simultaneously. In addition, the carriers accommodated and conveyed numerous reporters to report on the commissioning ceremony of INS Jatayu, located on Minicoy Island in the Lakshadweep archipelago on the southwest coast of mainland India. On 20 August 2024, Vikrant officially joined the Western Fleet, when deployed for a multi-domain exercise and twin carrier fighter operations in the Arabian Sea along with the Carrier Battle Group (CBG) led by Vikramaditya. On 5 and 6 October, Carrier Strike Groups of the Indian Navy and the Italian Navy led by Vikramaditya and Cavour and accompanied by INS Visakhapatnam and Alpino participated in a maritime bilateral exercise in the Arabian Sea. The exercise included aircraft like MiG-29K, F-35B and AV-8B Harrier II and integral helicopters. Operations in the sea phase included intense flight operations with fighter jets and helicopters for combined Large Force Engagements, Air Combat Missions, Helicopter Operations and Search & Rescue missions as well as co-ordinated weapon firings & joint manoeuvres to enhance joint operations, Command & Control capabilities and interoperability. The exercise also saw the participation of the Indian Air Force. During the Harbour Phase from 1 to 4 October, the exercise saw Subject Matter Expert exchanges and other key interactions as well as a Pre-Sail Planning Conference. On 30 November 2024, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Cochin Shipyards for the Short Refit and Dry Docking (SRDD) of INS Vikramaditya at an overall cost of ₹1,207.5 crore (equivalent to ₹13 billion or US$130 million in 2026). The expected official life of Vikramaditya is 40 years. As of 3 February 2025, the carrier has an operational life of 10 years. The carrier is projected to serve until 2052, subject to a critical structural audit in 2035, otherwise Vikramaditya would be retired by 2037. source: wikipedia |
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