Vikrant-class aircraft carrier

The '''''Vikrant'' class''' ({{Lit|Courageous}}) (formerly ''Project 71 Air Defence Ship (ADS)'' or ''Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)'') is a [[Ship class|class]] of [[aircraft carrier]] being built for the [[Indian Navy]]. The class represents the largest warships and the first aircraft carriers to be designed and built in [[India]].

The '''''Vikrant'' class''' ({{Lit|Courageous}}) (formerly ''Project 71 Air Defence Ship (ADS)'' or ''Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)'') is a [[Ship class|class]] of [[aircraft carrier]] being built for the [[Indian Navy]]. The class represents the largest warships and the first aircraft carriers to be designed and built in [[India]].

Preparations for building the lead vessel of the class, {{INS|Vikrant|2013|6}}, started in 2008, and the keel was laid in February 2009. The carrier was floated out of its [[dry dock]] on 29 December 2011,<ref name=hindu-float>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2758985.ece|title=Navy floats out first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier|work=The Hindu|date=30 December 2011|accessdate=31 December 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104111832/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2758985.ece|archivedate=4 January 2012}}</ref> launched on 12 August 2013 and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 2 September 2022.<ref name="PTICommission">{{cite news|url=http://www.ptinews.com/news/13670227_PM-Commissions-INS-Vikrant.html|title=PM Commissions INS Vikrant|publisher=Press Trust of India|date=2 September 2022|access-date=2 September 2022|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904050713/http://www.ptinews.com/news/13670227_PM-Commissions-INS-Vikrant.html|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="TOILaunch">[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-launches-first-indigenous-aircraft-carrier-INS-Vikrant/articleshow/21774409.cms India launches first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820063657/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India-launches-first-indigenous-aircraft-carrier-INS-Vikrant/articleshow/21774409.cms |date=20 August 2016 }} Times of India 12 August 2013</ref> The scale and complexity of the project caused problems which delayed the construction for the carrier. Technical difficulties, the cost of refitting the Ukrainian-built carrier {{INS|Vikramaditya}}, and billions in cost overruns<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120728/DEFREG03/307280002/Should-India-Building-Another-Carrier-?odyssey=nav%7Chead|title=Should India Be Building Another Carrier?|work=Defense News|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202145014/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indigenous-aircraft-carrier-to-be-launched-in-august-ak-antony/391008-3.html|archivedate=2 February 2014}}</ref> delayed plans for the first of the vessels to enter service.<ref name="TOI-2023">{{cite news|last1=Pandit|first1=Rajat|title=India without aircraft carrier for 8 months|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-without-aircraft-carrier-for-8-months/articleshow/53407213.cms|website=The Times of India|date=27 July 2016 |accessdate=17 November 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204174147/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-without-aircraft-carrier-for-8-months/articleshow/53407213.cms|archivedate=4 December 2016}}</ref>

Preparations for building the lead vessel of the class, {{INS|Vikrant|2013|6}}, started in 2008, and the keel was laid in February 2009. The carrier was floated out of its [[dry dock]] on 29 December 2011, launched on 12 August 2013 and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 2 September 2022.<ref name=hindu-float>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2758985.ece|title=Navy floats out first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier|work=The Hindu|date=30 December 2011|accessdate=31 December 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104111832/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2758985.ece|archivedate=4 January 2012}}</ref><ref name="PTICommission">{{cite news|url=http://www.ptinews.com/news/13670227_PM-Commissions-INS-Vikrant.html|title=PM Commissions INS Vikrant|publisher=Press Trust of India|date=2 September 2022|access-date=2 September 2022|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904050713/http://www.ptinews.com/news/13670227_PM-Commissions-INS-Vikrant.html|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="TOILaunch">[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-launches-first-indigenous-aircraft-carrier-INS-Vikrant/articleshow/21774409.cms India launches first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820063657/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India-launches-first-indigenous-aircraft-carrier-INS-Vikrant/articleshow/21774409.cms |date=20 August 2016 }} Times of India 12 August 2013</ref> The scale and complexity of the project caused problems which delayed the construction for the carrier. Technical difficulties, the cost of refitting the Ukrainian-built carrier {{INS|Vikramaditya}}, and billions in cost overruns delayed plans for the first of the vessels to enter service.<ref name="TOI-2023">{{cite news|last1=Pandit|first1=Rajat|title=India without aircraft carrier for 8 months|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-without-aircraft-carrier-for-8-months/articleshow/53407213.cms|website=The Times of India|date=27 July 2016 |accessdate=17 November 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204174147/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-without-aircraft-carrier-for-8-months/articleshow/53407213.cms|archivedate=4 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120728/DEFREG03/307280002/Should-India-Building-Another-Carrier-?odyssey=nav%7Chead|title=Should India Be Building Another Carrier?|work=Defense News|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202145014/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indigenous-aircraft-carrier-to-be-launched-in-august-ak-antony/391008-3.html|archivedate=2 February 2014}}</ref>

==Background==

==Background==