Indian Navy To Issue RFP For First Refit Of INS Vikramaditya Aircraft Carrier

Indian Navy will soon be issuing a Request For Proposal (RFP) to carry out the first refit of its newest aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya which is set for overhaul by September 2016.

“Dry docking of an aircraft carrier is a critical task and the Navy has asked the two shipyards to ready their existing infrastructure to meet the requirement. The Request for Proposal will be issued shortly and one of the contenders will carry out the first refit of the carrier,” Indian Express News Daily quoted an unnamed Defense Ministry source as saying.

The Navy has identified Pipavav shipyards and Cochin Shipyards for the first docking of the carrier under the government’s Make In India initiative.

The 45,000-ton modified Kiev class warship was commissioned into the Indian Navy in November 2013.

As per the contract with Russia the first refit of the aircraft carrier is mandatory within three years of it being commissioned and is expected to cost over Rs 200 crore (US $30 million).

During the refit, crucial parameters of the ship such as damages if any to the hull, propellers, runway, health of the component aircraft — presently Mig 29K— will be checked and their operational capability will be enhanced, the daily reported.

“As per the contract, subsequent dockings are supposed to take place once in five years,” the source said.