India Unveils Plans To Build Its First Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier

India has announced a 15-year defence plan that includes building the country’s third aircraft carrier, which will be nuclear-powered for the first time. The roadmap also covers inducting domestically-built naval fighter jets and expanding the use of drones.

The Ministry of Defence described the roadmap as essential to prepare the armed forces for “greater challenges and responsibilities” in the coming decades. Officials stressed that closer collaboration between private and public defence companies would be key to achieving these goals.

India currently operates two aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya, which is of Russian origin, and INS Vikrant, which was built domestically. The proposed third carrier will be nuclear-powered, enabling longer-range operations and greater stealth.

The roadmap also highlights the need for at least 10 nuclear propulsion systems to power the carrier and other future warships, showing India’s intent to extend its strategic presence across the Indian Ocean.

For the first time, the Indian Navy is also expected to induct locally built carrier-based aircraft. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is developing two new types of jets, a next-generation twin-engine deck-based fighter and a light combat aircraft, which will eventually be deployed on carriers.

At the same time, India is strengthening its fleet with advanced fighter jets. In April, New Delhi signed an $8 billion (₹630 billion) deal with France for 26 Rafale-Marine aircraft, including twin- and single-seat versions made by Dassault Aviation.

These jets are planned for deployment on the aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. By 2030, India aims to operate 62 Rafales in total, including 36 already ordered for the Air Force, which started arriving in 2020. Currently, India’s carriers use Soviet-era MiG-29K fighters.

The plan also includes acquiring two electromagnetic aircraft launch systems, which use electromagnetic power instead of steam to launch planes, a technology developed by the U.S. Navy.

The ministry noted that drones will play a bigger role in India’s defence, pointing to their effectiveness during a military clash with Pakistan in May.

India has allocated about ₹6.81 trillion ($77 billion) for defence this financial year. According to the World Bank, India is the world’s fourth-largest defence spender after the United States, China, and Russia.

Reference: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News