India officially claims to be one of the elite countries with the most powerful navy after the official launch aircraft carrier first national production INS VikrantFriday (2/9)

At a launch that took place at a shipyard in Kerala state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the 37,500-ton carrier had given India new “confidence”.

“The goal can be difficult. The challenge can be great. But when India is determined, no goal is impossible,” Modi said before inspecting the carrier and unfurling the new navy flag. Indian.

“So far, this type of carrier has only been manufactured by developed countries. Today, India has entered the league [elite angkatan laut] and take a step towards becoming a developed country,” Modi said.

As reported CNNVikrant’s presence allows India to officially join a small number of developed countries that have more than one aircraft carrier or helicopter carrier.

Moreover, Indian ownership of INS Vikrant also makes India the third country to have deployed a domestically-made aircraft carrier in the past three years.

Two countries that have already deployed their carriers in recent years are Britain and China.

John Bradford, an observer from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the inauguration of INS Vikrant was a form of India’s commitment to achieving its vision of having a world-class navy.

“Many questions hang over the survivability of every submarine in the missile age, but most navies, including those of the United States, Japan, China and the United Kingdom, are doubling their investments in carriers,” Bradford said.

“In this context, India is stepping into the race,” he said.

Meanwhile, a former Indian military official and defense analyst, Ajai Shukla, believed India was sending a message from the carrier launch.

“India is sending the message that it has the power, it has the aircraft carriers and the air power to dominate the far reaches of the Indian Ocean,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Indian aircraft carrier is seen as capable of enabling New Delhi to play a bigger role in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) military exercise. The alliance is an informal alliance made up of the United States, Japan, Australia and India.

On the other hand, tensions between China and India are also quite high given that Beijing sees New Delhi as a major naval competitor in the region.

The Indian Navy itself started using the aircraft carrier since 1961. The ship was called Vikrant and retired in 1997.

India also owned the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, which served the Indian Navy for 30 years before being “retired” in 2017.

The new INS Vikrant can carry 30 combat aircraft, including MiG-29K, Kamov-31, MH-60R helicopters and several other aircraft. If calculated, this ship is capable of carrying almost 45,000 tons.

The INS Vikrant has a top speed of 28 knots with a range of 7,500 miles. Once operational, the ship will have 160 officers and 1,400 crew, according to reports New Indian Express.

A number of Indian media glorify this ship. a medium, WIONeven said that China would be cornered by the presence of INS Vikrant.

(pwn/rds)