INS Vikramaditya

Indian Navy Aircraft Carrier (2008)

Indian Day ! INS Vikramaditya is an odd aircraft carrier born from historical circumstances. She looks like a little sister of the Russian carrier Kuznetsov, but she was born as a Kiev-class aircraft carrier, and after the collapse of USSR, rebuilt (at Indian expenses) as a fully fledge STOBAR carrier and flagship of the Indian Navy when entering service in 2013 after a reconstruction which lasted nine years.

The base ship was indeed ordered as Baku, commissioned in 1987, and served with the Soviet Navy and Russian Navy, renamed Admiral Gorshkov, before being decommissioned in 1996. After years of negotiations, she was purchased for conversion by India on 20 January 2004, commissioned at Severodvinsk on 16 November 2013 after her first aviation trials in September, formally integrated to the Navy in June 2014. Today in service, she ceded her place as flagship to the new Vikrant, built in India and commissioned in December 2022. Today, as of 2025, India has two fully operational battle groups.

Development

INS Vikramaditya (‘Valour Comparable to the Sun’) found its origin in the crossing of the Indian Needs for more modern aircraft carriers, and Russian need to boost the economy back in the late 1990s. At that stage, the new Federation of Russian possessed four Kiev-class hybrid aircraft carriers. The latter were a 1960s project, built in the 1970s and classed as “heavy cruisers”, and yet capable of operating, unlike the previous Moskva class helicopters, but also VTOL combat jets to ensure protection of a battle group. They were also the largest ship even built in USSR and like the four Kiev class battlecruisers, represented the apex of the world’s second-largest navy in the 1980s.
Among the four ships of this class, there was the last one, laid down at Soviet Shipyard No. 444, Nikolayev, Ukraine on 17 February 1978, launched on 1 April 1982 and commissioned on 11 December 1987 under her own sub-class as Baku, Project 11434. She served with the Soviet Navy and after the collapse in 1991, under the new Russian Navy, renamed as Admiral Gorshkov. However, economical hardships of the rear led to massive decommissions across the whole range of Soviet navy surface vessels and submarines.

At that stage in 1995, Gorshkov was expected a modernization and refit, but there was just no budget for it. She still was used for trials of the Yak-141 Freestyle supersonic VTOL fighter. In 1994 however, following a boiler room explosion, she was docked for a year of repairs and to service in 1995, but was finally withdrawn and decommissioned in 1996. She was then offered for sale. China was interested for a time. Two ex-Kiev were purchased under dodgy intermediaries in a vain attempt to blur the real buyer’s intents.

As for India, it had the goal of having a two-carrier fleet and always tried to maintain two battle groups for the west and east coasts of the subcontinent. Until then, India stuck to ex-British carriers, there were the first INS Vikrant (acquired 1961), ex-HMS Hercules of the Majestic class, but she really was at the end of her rope and was decommissioned in 1990, then turned into a museum, but due to the lack of funds after a few years she was scrapped. So India was down to a single battle group, the western one, and looked for a new carrier for its eastern fleet. The single carrier was INS Viraat, the ex-Hermes, rebuilt thrice and proud veteran of the Falklands war, she was sold to India soon afterwards in 1986. It was expected to keep her until the start of the construction of a new, locally designed and built carrier, the new INS Vikrant, in the 2000s.

After long negotiations, Baku was purchased by India on 20 January 2004. The condition was a radical reconstruction along the lines of Kuznetsov to operate, instead of Harriers and Alize ASW Russian-built SU-29K. This became a long reconstruction, starting in 2004 until she was launched on 4 December 2008, so four years later, and complete eventually at a cost of $2.35 billion (refurbishment) and $10-11 billion for aircraft and systems. She ended as a unique and interesting ship. The new INS Vikramaditya completed her sea trials in July 2013, first STOBAR aviation trials in September 2013. She was commissioned on 16 November 2013 at a ceremony at Severodvinsk, Russia and on 14 June 2014, PM Narendra Modi, formally inducted INS Vikramaditya into the Indian Navy. At last, India had its two carrier battle groups, with INS Viraat expected to leave service soon.

Design of the class

Hull and general design

INS Vikramditya as completed displaced 45,000 tons of loaded displacement versus 44,490 tons (loaded) so about the same as the former Baku. She was extended however in length at 284 metres (932 ft) overall versus 273 m (896 ft) for the original ship, for a beam overall of 61 metres (200 ft) versus 51.9 m (170 ft) o/a for Baku, and a total height from the keel to the mainmast top (22 decks) of 60 metres (196.9 ft), plus a draugth which went from 9.42 m (30.9 ft) to 10.2 metres (33 ft).

Powerplant

Vikramaditya had an installed power comprising a modernized, more complex powerplant, still steam-driven. There were, one the same original four shafts, four GTZA-674 geared steam turbines, generating 180,000 horsepower (134,226 kW) thanks to the steam provided by eight KVG-3D turbo-pressurised boilers. To run all systems when they were cold, and add additional propulsion power if needed, there were also six turbo alternators and six diesel alternators able to generate 18 MWe. This enabled a top speed of +30 knots (56 km/h) and range of 13,500 nautical miles (25,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h). She had an endurance of 45 days for a crew of 110 officers and 1500 ratings, including pilots and mechanics of the air group.

Armament

Four AK-630 CIWS
Eight Barak 1 VLS, 2 quadruple cells from the ex-INS Godavari.
Eight Barak 8 LR-SAM in quadruple VLS cells.

Sensors

Sensors & processing systems comprises the following:
-Long-range Air Surveillance Radars
-LESORUB-E
-Resistor-E radar complex
-CCS MK II communication complex
-Link II tactical data system
Full List
MR-700M2EM Fregat-M2EM
Podberiozovik-ET1
2x Pozitiv-ME1
Bridgemaster
Rezistor-K4 radars
MG-355 Polinom sonar
Ajanta ECM suites
4x PK-2E decoy RLs
MVU-410 Lesorub-434 CCS

Air Group

As first planned in 1999: 14x Yak-41M, 8x Yak-38 VTOL fighters, 16x Ka-27-series helicopters
In between the Yak-41 project petered out and the Yak 38 showed poor capabilities whereas the Ka-27 appeared obsolete.
The arrival of the Mig-29K for the Indian Navy was a game changer as INS Viraat only operated Harrier jump-jets.
Maximum of 36 aircraft:
-26 × Mikoyan MiG-29K carrier-based multirole fighter
-10 × Kamov Ka-31 AEW&C and Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopters
In 2014 she operated 16 MiG-29K, 3 Ka-28, 3 Ka-31.
In 2018 she operated 24 MiG-29K, 9 Ka-28, Ka-31, Sea King.

Aviation facilities:

-14.3° takeoff ski-jump for conventional fighter aircraft, no catapults. So only short take-offs with arrested landings.
-Two takeoff positions, each with a jet-blast deflector and aircraft detents. . The angled portion of the flight deck is 195.0×20.7m. Adding wire-type arrestor gear reduced capacity of the 130m-long by 22.5m-wide by 6.6m-high hangar. Aft elevator was enlarged.
14-degree ski-jump, three 30 m wide arrester gears and three restraining gears.

INS Vikramaditya in service

The purchase negociations of Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov to India started in 1994, and India signed a “letter of interest” on 21 December 1998. A contract for the transfer was signed on 4 October 2000, and she was transferred on 20.1.2004, for planned delivery in 2008.
INS Vikramaditya is India’s largest and most powerful aircraft carrier currently in service. It’s essentially a floating airbase, designed to project air power far from India’s shores.
Type: Modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier
Origin: Originally built in the Soviet Union as the Admiral Gorshkov in 1987
Acquired by India: Purchased from Russia, refurbished extensively at the Sevmash shipyard
Commissioned into the Indian Navy: 16 November 2013
Displacement: About 45,000 tonnes when fully loaded
Length: Around 284 meters
Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, generating about 180,000 shaft horsepower — enough to push her to ~30 knots
Air Wing: Primarily operates MiG-29K/KUB fighter jets and Kamov Ka-31 airborne early warning helicopters, plus other utility helicopters
Role: Air dominance, maritime surveillance, fleet protection, strike operations
Fun fact: Unlike U.S. supercarriers with catapults, INS Vikramaditya uses a ski-jump at the bow to launch aircraft and arrestor wires to recover them — a STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) system.

INS Vikramaditya is a central piece of India’s maritime power projection strategy, especially in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Here’s how she fits into the big picture:

1. Blue-Water Navy Capability
India aims to operate as a blue-water navy — meaning it can conduct sustained operations far from home ports.
Vikramaditya provides a mobile airbase that can move anywhere in the IOR, covering choke points like the Strait of Malacca, Hormuz, or Bab-el-Mandeb.
This ensures India can deter threats or respond quickly without needing land-based airfields.

2. Carrier Battle Group (CBG) Backbone
Vikramaditya is the flagship of one of India’s Carrier Battle Groups.
A CBG is built around the carrier and includes destroyers, frigates, submarines, and replenishment ships — creating a self-sustaining strike and defense force.
Her MiG-29Ks extend the fleet’s air defense perimeter to 700+ km.

3. Deterrence Against Regional Rivals
In the Indian Ocean, China’s navy (PLAN) is increasing its presence, and Pakistan maintains a smaller but modern fleet.
A fully operational carrier like Vikramaditya complicates any adversary’s planning — it’s a symbol of readiness and reach.

4. Two-Carrier Requirement
India’s doctrine ideally calls for two operational carriers at all times — one each for the Eastern and Western Naval Commands.
With INS Vikramaditya (Western Command) and INS Vikrant (Eastern Command), India can maintain constant coverage, even when one carrier is in maintenance.

5. Transition to Indigenous Capability
While Vikramaditya is Russian-built, she’s serving as the bridge platform until India’s indigenous carrier program matures.
Lessons from operating her directly inform IAC-2 (planned INS Vishal) — which is expected to be larger, possibly nuclear-powered, and with a CATOBAR system.

6. Maritime Diplomacy
Deployments of Vikramaditya for exercises (like Malabar with the U.S. and Japan) demonstrate India’s operational credibility to partners.
The carrier also participates in humanitarian missions — projecting soft power alongside hard power.
If you imagine India’s naval strategy as a chessboard, Vikramaditya is the queen — versatile, powerful, and mobile — but also a high-value piece that must be protected by the rest of the fleet.

Here’s the visual showing India’s two-carrier deployment concept — with INS Vikramaditya covering the Western Naval Command and INS Vikrant the Eastern Naval Command — along with major choke points in the Indian Ocean Region like Hormuz, Malacca, and Bab-el-Mandeb.

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Links

https://www.navypedia.org/ships/india/in_cv_vikramaditya.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Vikramaditya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_aircraft_carrier_Baku

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