Which aircraft will adorn India’s newest warship INS Vikrant, top facts to know

India on Friday received its newest aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, the largest warship to be built in the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today commissioned INS Vikrant, during a grand ceremony at Cochin Shipyard. Built at a cost of ₹ 20,000 crore, it will serve as the Navy’s second operational aircraft carrier after INS Vikramaditya, a modified Kiev-class warship.

But did you know which aircraft will be the main arsenal of this 45,000-tonne warship? Here are the details.

As per information available, Russian-origin MiG-29K, a naval version of the MiG-29 jet of the Indian Air Force will be the main aircraft on the warship.

MiG-29K, an all-weather fighter jet has a maximum speed of Mach 2 and can pull up eight times the force of gravity.

It has top capabilities in engaging targets in air, land or sea. Boasting air-to-air refuelling capacity, MiG-29K can come handy in executing long-range missions.

INS Vikrant can have 30 aircraft on board, including MiG-29K fighter jets and multi-role helicopters. It can also accommodate around 1600 crew.