According to information published by ELE Times on April 12, 2021, India’s indigenous aircraft carrier 1 (IAC 1) INS Vikrant will soon be getting air defence cover from the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) system after the Navy started integration work of the missile system onboard INS Vikrant.
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Future Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (Picture source: AFP)
The LRSAM is a joint development by the IAI and the DRDO, that has a range of 70+km and offers broad aerial and point defence against a wide range of threats to the marine arena from the air, sea, or land.
INS Vikrant will also be getting DRDO developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) that will supplement the LRSAM system for intercepting aerial threats to the aircraft carrier. VL-SRSAM has a range of 40km and they are talks of DRDO working on an extended LRSAM-ER variant for the Indian Navy which will feature an additional booster stage that will enable it to take down aerial targets at a range of 150+km.
INS Vikrant successfully passed basin trials last year and the Navy is about to commence Sea Trials. In Basin trials, all four Gas Turbines, main engines, and the Power Generation Systems comprising of eight Diesel Alternators were fired up for the first time that proved the propulsion, transmission, and shafting systems.
