Indian-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant launched

12 August 2013

The INS Vikrant was launched amid chanting from ancient Hindu scriptures at the Kochi shipyard in the southern state of Kerala

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India has unveiled its first home-built aircraft carrier from a shipyard in southern Kerala state.

The 37,500 tonne INS Vikrant is expected to go for extensive trials in 2016 before being inducted into the navy by 2018, reports say.

With this, India joins a select group of countries capable of building such a vessel.

Other countries capable of building a similar ship are the US, the UK, Russia and France.

Monday's launch of INS Vikrant marks the end of the first phase of its construction.

The ship will be then re-docked for outfitting and further construction.

The ship, which will have a length of 260m (850ft) and a breadth of 60m, has been built at the shipyard in Cochin.

It was designed and manufactured locally, using high grade steel made by a state-owned steel company.

Vice-Admiral RK Dhowan of India's navy has described the launch as the "crowning glory" of the navy's programme to produce vessels on home soil.

Japanese war ships in Colombo TUESDAY, 13 AUGUST 2013  Two Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships, Ariake DD- 109 and Setogiri DD- 156, arrived at the Port of Colombo for logistics requirements on Monday. The Sri Lanka Navy said that the ships are en route for Counter Piracy Operations off the Coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. They were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions on arrival. Head of the team, Commander Escort Division 7, Captain Hirofumi Shimizu and Ships’ Commanding Officers, Commander Yoshihiro Kai and Commander Toshiyuki Iwanami paid a courtesy call on Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe of the Sri Lanka Navy at the Western Naval Command Headquarters in Colombo. They held cordial discussions and exchanged mementos as a gesture of goodwill. “Ariake” is a destroyer with two helicopters onboard. It is 150.5 meters in length. It consists of a complement of 200 naval personnel and has a displacement of 4,550 tons. “Setogiri” is also a destroyer with a helicopter onboard. It is 137 meters in length and has a displacement of 3,550 tons. It consists of a complement of 200 naval personnel. The ships’ complements will participate in a special programme organized by the Sri Lanka Navy during their stay in Sri Lanka. The visiting Japanese ships will stay in Sri Lanka tomorrow (14).