Through the construction of the Vikrant, India has already followed China’s lead in demonstrating to the world that it can build an indigenously designed carrier.
There has been speculation for several years that the People’s Republic of China would seek to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that could enter service by the mid-2030s, if not sooner. Beijing has built a land-based nuclear reactor prototype, highlighting the progress it has already made. Such a warship would be central to China’s goal of having a world-class military to rival that of the United States.
Apart from the French Navy, with its flagship Charles de Gaulle, only the United States Navy currently operates nuclear-powered supercarriers. By the 2030s, however, that could change—and it may not be only China that will join the exclusive club of nations with the capabilities to build and operate such a vessel.
According to India’s 15-year defense modernization plan unveiled on Friday, New Delhi has also set an ambitious goal to build a nuclear-powered flattop to expand its naval capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. Even as India retains close ties with Russia and remains the largest importer of Russian-made military hardware, it has sought to expand its military industrial base to cut its dependence on foreign defense contractors.
“As the nation stands on the threshold of embracing greater challenges and responsibilities in the forthcoming decades, it is imperative that the Services be equipped accordingly,” stated the Indian Ministry of Defense’s 2025 roadmap. “Greater private-public sector partnership is thus the road ahead.”
India Already Has Two Conventional Aircraft Carriers
The Indian Navy operates two aircraft carriers—including the aging INS Vikramaditya, which was laid down for the Soviet Navy before Russia completed the warship and sold it to India, and the domestically-built INS Vikrant. There has been speculation that the increasingly obsolete Vikramaditya would undergo a refit and modernization, but New Delhi may opt for an alternative direction.
INS Vikramaditya, which began life as a Soviet Kiev-class aircraft cruiser, was laid down in 1978 and commissioned in 1987. It served briefly with the Russian Navy following the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, but was retired due to its high operating costs and ultimately sold to India. However, since entering service with the Indian Navy, the carrier has been plagued by numerous issues and has limited capabilities—much like the similarly dated Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in Russia’s service.
The conventional thinking is that keeping an unreliable warship in service is worse than scrapping it. New Delhi may opt to cut its losses, retire the aging Soviet-era flattop, and build a second domestic carrier from scratch.
Indeed, through the construction of the more advanced Vikrant, India has already followed China’s lead in demonstrating to the world that it can build an indigenously designed carrier. It may next build a nuclear-powered supercarrier equipped with an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), a launch catapult for aircraft—allowing larger aircraft to serve on carriers and eliminating the need for the “ski jump” ramp often seen on non-US aircraft carriers. At present, only the United States and China have EMALS systems.
According to the defense modernization plan, India has called for the building of at least 10 nuclear propulsion systems to support such a carrier, as well as other warships. Beyond the carrier, the plan called for an expansion of the Indian Navy with the addition of 10 “next-generation” frigates, seven stealth corvettes, and four landing dock platforms.
The Indian Navy has already adopted the French-made Dassault Rafale omnirole fighter, and current timelines call for 62 of those fighters to be in service by 2030, replacing the aging Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-29K (NATO reporting name “Fulcrum-D”). These plans appear to be unchanged even after the embarrassing loss of at least one Rafale jet in clashes against Pakistan in May.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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