Global Times recently reported that, on September 2, after 17 years of construction and testing, India’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, was officially deployed. India has become one of the few countries in the world to have the most advanced defense technology. India now has two active-duty aircraft carriers. However, the new aircraft carrier still has serious shortcomings. The deployment of carrier-based aircraft has not yet begun. In addition, the aircraft carrier also lacks a radar system. Some Western media also touted India, saying it marks its entry into the elite alliance of the world’s naval powers. Western media also described India’s domestic aircraft carrier as “a response to the Chinese threat.” It is to “deal with rival China’s much larger and growing fleet.” China is regarded by India as its most powerful competitor. China is ahead of India in terms of the number and technology of aircraft carriers. However, Western analysts expressed the belief that India has had decades of experience in aircraft carrier operation and combat. India imported its first aircraft carrier from the UK in 1961. The new Indian aircraft carrier also raises doubts in neighboring countries. The Center for Strategic and Contemporary Research, a Pakistani think tank, recently issued a report saying that India’s first domestically-made aircraft carrier may seize air and sea dominance in the far seas of Pakistan and achieve a blockade of the line of transportation with Pakistan.
Source: Global Times, September 3, 2022
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