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Indian aircraft carrier in tie-boosting visit to Colombo
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President Sirisena arrives at the Colombo Port. Pic by Sudath Silva
After nearly fifty years, one of the largest aircraft carriers in the world called at the port of Colombo this week, marking its maiden visit to a foreign port.
INS Vikramaditya, India’s largest naval ship serving as an aircraft carrier, accompanied by missile destroyer INS Mysore, both belonging to the western fleet of the Indian Navy, were welcomed by the Sri Lankan Navy in keeping with naval traditions.
“Vikramaditya” in Sanskrit means brave as the sun. The ship, named after the legendary 1st century BC hero for Ujjan, the present day Madhya Pradesh, is 284 metres long and sixty metres wide.
It can carry 36 fighter aircraft, has 22 decks. The ship with a complement of 1,700 personnel has an endurance of 7,000 nautical miles.
It has thirty MiG-29K fighter aircraft and six Kamov Ka-31 helicopters aboard. The ship was a Russian aircraft carrier before it was modernised at a cost of 2.3 billion dollars and inducted in 2013 to the Indian Navy.
INS Vikramaditya’s Captain Krishna Swaminathan told reporters that this was the ship’s first “goodwill” visit to a foreign port and it reflected the long existing friendship and the strong defence cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.
He said he was informed by the Sri Lanka navy commander that the visit of the Indian aircraft carrier came 42 years after a similar vessel visited Sri Lanka.
The two Indian warships are transiting from the West Coast of India to the city of Visakhapatnam on the East Coast of India to participate in the International Fleet Review which will be hosted by the Indian Navy next month. More than twenty countries, including Sri Lanka, will participate in this prestigious event.
The impressive aircraft carrier consists of state-of-the-art medical facilities, including a modern operating theatre, briefing room and a spacious canteen.
During their stay in Colombo, the crew had interactions with their Sri Lankan counterparts and took part in sports and social engagements as part of the measures aimed at strengthening ties and mutual understanding between the two navies. Prior to their departure, the ships took part in a Passage Exercise with the Sri Lanka Navy.
(SR)
INS Vikramaditya at the Colombo Port. Pix by Indika Handuwala