Kochi: The Indian Navy has successfully landed a light combat aircraft (MiG-29K fighter jet) on the domestically built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
This marks a historic achievement, as no other country has accomplished this within five months of the commissioning of an aircraft carrier.
The Indian Navy has outperformed the US in this regard, as the fighter jet was only tested in the US a year after its commissioning.
The INS Vikrant, built at Kochi Shipyard, was commissioned on September 2, 2022. The fighter jet landed in 13 seconds and has a range of 3000 km.
This is a significant step towards India’s self-reliance. The Indian Navy continues to conduct experiments with the INS Vikrant as it travels in the sea.
Becoming a strategic asset of the Indian Navy in the Indo-pacific region, the commissioning of INS Vikrant made India’s entry into the elite group of nations that are capable of manufacturing aircraft carriers with a capacity of over 40,000 tonnes.
This feat will further boost India’s capability to design, develop, construct, and operate indigenous aircraft carriers with indigenous fighter aircraft.
Earlier, a French Navy official in a cryptic tweet hinted that the naval version of Rafale fighter jets may also deck up at INS Vikrant.