While confirming on Thursday that electric propulsion is being considered, the Indian Navy chief on Thursday refused to give any timeline for the project’s commencement.
Currently, the Indian Navy has a single aircraft carrier – the Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya.
“Our plan is to build a 65,000 tonner, possibly with electric propulsion and CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take off but Arrested Recovery) so that if we have three aircraft carriers, at least two will be operational at any given time”, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said at an event organised by industry body FICCI in New Delhi.
The statement of the naval chief comes against the backdrop of an increasing presence of Chinese Navy warships in the Indian Ocean Region. With the availability of a third aircraft carrier, the Indian Navy expects that its dominant position will remain unchallenged.
However, the navy is also considering hybrid electric propulsion for the third aircraft carrier, the Economic Times reported, based on unnamed sources.
Earlier this month, southern command chief Vice-Admiral Anil Chawla revealed that the navy had set facilities to train naval engineers to operate electric drive ships.
The Indian Navy has also envisaged electric propulsions for its Landing Platform Dock (LPD) amphibious warships and the next series of destroyers.
In 2015, India sought US cooperation for designing and fitting its new carrier.
During President Barack Obama's visit to India, a joint statement released by the two nations spoke of a "working group to explore aircraft carrier technology sharing and design" as part of the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative.
France's Naval Group has also offered to provide a design to develop an electric propulsion-fitted aircraft carrier.
India has already been building its second aircraft carrier at the Cochin Shipyard Limited and expects it to be operationalised by 2021.
The 37,500-tonne carrier will measure 260 metres in length, with a maximum width of 50 metres. It was designed to carry 12 MiG-29Ks, eight Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and 10 anti-submarine and reconnaissance helicopters on its 2.5-acre flight deck and hangars.
