Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:49am on 29 Nov 2023,Wednesday Defence
India is poised to acquire its second homemade aircraft carrier, a $4.8 billion warship displacing 45,000 tons to accommodate at least 28 fighter jets and helicopters. The new carrier, expected to be approved by the Defense Acquisition Council on Friday, will fly French-made Rafale jets as part of its arsenal. The acquisition comes a year after India's first indigenous carrier INS Vikrant joined the fleet. The expanded naval capabilities aim to counter China's increasingly dominant People's Liberation Army Navy, already the world's largest with 370 ships and submarines. India plans a three-carrier battle group to project wider influence across the Indian Ocean amid intensifying regional competition. India has set a goal to field 160 warships by 2030 and 175 by 2035 through its naval expansion and modernization program to keep pace with rivals.
