INS Vikrant takes leave of Mumbai

MUMBAI: The indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant sailed off Mumbai High on Friday after her maiden visit to the city since her commissioning in Kochi on September 2. On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the aircraft carrier and said the next Malabar Exercise would be held in Australia. Last year, it was held in Japan. The aircraft carrier has five woman officers on board in logistics, ATC and other departments.
Commanding officer Commodore Vidhyadhar Harke said it was a proud moment when the Australian PM sat in the LCA after boarding INS Vikrant. Harke said it takes a finite time to be fully ready for a combat role. “The carrier’s integration with the fleet, the Carrier Battle Group (CBG), will be undertaken in the coming months,” Harke Said. The combat-readiness of the carrier is a crucial issue for the navy considering the increasing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean region, said officers. “Vikrant will strengthen India’s position in the IOR,” an officer said. “It will help us achieve our economic objectives by smoothing imports and exports in the region.
Also, we intend to become a preferred security partner for the foreign nations that operate in the waters of IOR and maintain freedom of navigation in it.” As part of operationalisation, the navy has carried out the landing of indigenous light combat aircraft. It also landed and took off a twinengine MiG-29K fighter jet in February. “Within five months of the commissioning of the ship, we could carry out intense and dense operations on the ship. It is the testament to prove that the Indian Navy can operate the carrier effectively,” the officer said. Among the woman officers, two are education officers, Megha and Nidhi Singh. They are on a month’s attachment programme. “During this one month they will be trained and have to learn the functioning of different departments on board and when needed they will be called,” said the officer.