This Would Be Epic: India Goes British For Its Next Aircraft Carrier

Michael Peck

Security,

Will India’s next aircraft carrier be a British design?

India’s two existing carriers use a Short-Takeoff But Arrested Recovery, or STOBAR, system in which short-takeoff aircraft are launched off a ski jump flight deck, but are recovered using arresting wires like an American carrier. While simpler and cheaper than CATOBAR, it requires aircraft to be lighter and carry less payload.

Will India’s next aircraft carrier be a British design?

(This first appeared last month.)

British defense contractor BAE Systems is offering a Queen Elizabeth-class design as a contender for India’s third aircraft carrier, which will be built in India.

“BAE Systems has begun discussions with India regarding the potential for basing development of the second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-2) project on the successful Queen Elizabeth Class design,” said a BAE statement. “The design is adaptable to offer either ski jump or catapult launch and can be modified to meet Indian Navy and local industry requirements.”

India currently operates one aircraft carrier, the 45,000-ton Vikramaditya, which is actually the former Soviet carrier Admiral Gorshkov. That ship has been plagued by engine problems as well as reliability issues with its MiG-29K fighters.

Under construction is India’s first indigenous carrier, the 40,000-ton Vikrant, while is scheduled to go to sea in 2020. But as is often the case with Indian-built defense projects, the vessel has suffered from problems such as massive cost overruns and disputes with Russian contractors who are supplying materials for the Indian-built ship.

But India wants a third and larger aircraft carrier, and BAE argues that its carrier would be ideal. “The UK carrier design has now been proven at sea and is a near match to the Indian Navy’s requirement for a 65,000-ton carrier with Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP), that could be constructed under the country’s ‘Make in India’ program,” a BAE representative said at recent Malaysian defense trade show, according to Australian Defense Magazine.