Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on Russia-made INS Vikramaditya, the latest aircraft carrier inducted into the Indian Navy, as part of a ?Day at Sea? with the Western Fleet on Saturday.
He will embark the carrier at sea by helicopter and will dedicate it to the nation. The PM is expected to witness the drill by frontline warships and aircraft of the Navy and will be received at INS Hansa, the Naval Air Station in Goa, by chief of Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan.
According to the ministry of defence (MoD), during the day, he will witness ?Air Power Demonstration? by various naval aircraft including MiG 29K, Sea Harriers, P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft, TU 142M, IL 38 SD, Dorniers, Kamov and Sea King helicopters.
Modi’s first defence visit to a military platform assumes special signifance as it ahead of Russian deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin who will be here on June 18 and will be meeting Prime minister Modi on June 19.
He would also watch high speed maneuvers by Western Fleet ships including aircraft carrier INS Viraat, Delhi class destroyers, Talwar class frigates and shall also witness the take-off and ?arrestor wire landing operations? and high speed low level operations of MiG29 K integral fighters on board the flight deck of INS Vikramaditya. INS Vikramaditya is India?s largest warship and virtually a 20-storeyed floating city with 22 decks.
The warship which was commissioned last November, 2013 by the then defence minister AK Antony in a Russian shipyard is equipped with MiG-29K naval combat aircraft along with Kamov 31 and Kamov 28 anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance helicopters.
