The Indian Navy successfully carried out a landing and take-off of a prototype of the naval version of the locally-made light combat aircraft (LCA) aboard INS Vikrant on Monday in an historic milestone,
INS Vikrant, which has an indigenous content of 76%, was commissioned into the Navy last September.
The INR 20,000 crore, 45,000-tonne aircraft carrier was built at Cochin Shipyard, and was named after the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant operated by the Navy from 1961 to 1997.
This exercise marks a pivotal point in India’s quest for self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector, according to defence analysts.
While the light combat aircraft (LCA) is a prototype, INS Vikrant’s air wing has capacity for 30 aircraft including MiG-29Ks, Kamov-31 choppers, MH-60R multi-role helicopters and advanced light helicopters.