INS Vikrant: A giant by all means

KOCHI: A flight deck equivalent to the size of two football fields, standing tall at 18 storeyes, kitchen equipment that could dish out 16,000 chappathis a day while the sentinel keeps an eye on the seas, 2,500 km long cable work--INS Vikrant is a feature-packed addition to the Indian Navy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier on Friday here and called it a "floating town" and a "floating airfield," with its generated power capable of lighting up 5,000 homes.

An Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), a Kamov-31 and a MiG-29K were parked on the flight deck of the newly commissioned massive warship on Friday during its induction into the Indian Navy.

The flight deck can accommodate around 30 fighter jets and helicopters including MiG 29Ks, Kamov and MH-60R choppers in addition to the ALHs at a time.

The three arresting wires, which are part of the aircraft-operation mode known as Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR), are among the highlights in the massive 45,000-tonne warship.

If one were to walk through the ship's passages and lobbies, the person would clock about 12 km.

Length: 262.5 m

Width: 62.5 m

Displacement: 42,800 tons

Speed: 28 knots

Power: 24 MW urveillance Radar *MF-STAR (Naval Radar system) *TACAN (tactical air navigation system) *Rezistor-E Aviation Complex *Shakti EW suite (an electronic layer of defence against anti-ship missiles) *Diver Detection System *ELK-7036 VUHF COMINT omated galleys capable of churning out 16,000 chapatis and 6,000 idlis in a single day.

• Cruising range of 7,500 nautical mile.

• Over 700 ladders *A fully functional hospital with a CT scan machine, a first in a warship in the country.

• Two operation theaters *1,600 crew *Over 2,200 compartments * 18 storey height.