Modi dedicates India's largest warship INS Vikramaditya to the nation

Panaji: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated the the country's latest warship aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya to the nation. Arriving on board the warship in a Sea King chopper, the Prime Minister was given the ceremonial guard of honour by the Navy and was briefed about the warship.

Off the Goa coast in the Arabian Sea, the Prime Minister also sat in a MIG 29 aircraft to have a feel of the combat fighter on the ship sailing off the Goa coast. Lt Commander Vikram Narval briefed him about the aircraft.

The Prime Minister, who spent a few hours on board the 44,500-tonne warship, assured the Defence personnel about the implementation of the 'One Rank One Pension' scheme. He also congratulated the officers on the launch of India's largest warship aircraft carrier.

Modi, on his maiden visit to any defence installation after taking charge as the Prime Minister, witnessed a host of exercises by the frontline warships and aircraft. "The government is not just about promises, we have the intentions to work for the nation as well," he said.

During his stay on the ship, acquired from Russia for over Rs 15,000 crore, Modi witnessed 'air power demonstration' by various naval aircraft, including MiG 29K, Sea Harriers, P 8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft, TU 142M and IL-38SD maritime surveillance planes along with Kamov and Sea King helicopters.

The deal for the aircraft carrier was signed during the previous NDA regime in 2004 and the ship has been dedicated to the nation after a gap of ten years. The vessel was inducted in the Indian Navy on November 16, 2013.

Vikramaditya, a floating airfield, has an overall length of about 284 metres and a maximum beam of about 60 metres, stretching as much as three football fields put together. Standing about 20 storeys tall from the keel to the highest point, the ship has a total of 22 decks and carries 1,600 personnel.

Its logistics requirements include nearly a lakh of eggs, 20,000 litres of milk and 16 tonnes of rice per month. With her complete stock of provisions, she is capable of sustaining herself at sea for about 45 days. It is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier which was purchased by India from Russia for the Indian Navy in 2013. The ship has been renamed in honour of Vikramaditya, a legendary 1st century BC emperor.

Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet (until the dissolution of the Soviet Union) and Russian Navies before being decommissioned in 1996, it being too expensive to operate.

Modi was accompanied by the Chief of Naval Staff, Defence secretary and MoS Defence on his "day at sea" with the Western Naval Command fleet.

Modi's visit hold more significance as comparisons are going to be made between how the UPA handled the armed forces and how the Modi government is handling it.

The visit comes a day after the PM received his first briefing by the three chiefs giving him a complete overview of the security situation in the country and the challenges that lie in the mid term and the long term.