Article Posted on : - Nov 27, 2013

INS Vikramaditya. Photo: Sevmash shipyard.

NEW DELHI (PTI): After being inducted into the Indian Navy, the much awaited USD 2.3 billion aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has started sailing towards its home base in Karwar.

The carrier on Tuesday set off for India after being handed over to Indian Navy 10 days ago, reports from Russia suggested.

The aircraft carrier is without its air defence missiles and other important weapon systems and will be escorted by a group of Indian warships, which have been deployed for its protection.

The Navy has chosen the controversial Barak missiles for the 44,500 tonne warship inducted into it on November 16 by Defence Minister A K Antony.

INS Vikramaditya is a Kiev class aircraft carrier which was commissioned by Russian Navy in 1987 under the name Baku.

It was later renamed as Admiral Gorshkov and last sailed in 1995 in Russia, before being offered to India.

The warship with a length of 284 metres will have MiG-29K naval combat aircraft along with Kamov 31 and Kamov 28 anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance helicopters.

The MiG 29-Ks would provide a significant boost to Indian Navy with their range of over 700 nautical miles, extendable to over 1,900 nautical miles with mid-air refuelling, and an array of weapons like anti-ship missiles, beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and guided bombs and rockets.