In a first, 44,500-ton aircraft carrier to be refitted in India

NEW DELHI: India will refit its largest naval warship next year in a major project that will require dry docking the 44,500-ton Vikramaditya aircraft carrier and carrying out maintenance and repair works. Private sector Pipavav Shipyard is set to get the contract for the first major refit of the warship.

The largest dry docking of a warship in India will take place at its biggest such facility in Gujarat that measures over 662 metres in length. While the initial contract value of the refit contract is likely to be around Rs 200 crore, handling the complicated warship will be a significant capability enhancement programme for the private sector.

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Sources in the Navy said that INS Vikramaditya will require dry docking and refits at a regular interval of 18 months, according to the design cycle of the ship. The warship was built up at the Sevmash Shipyard and Pipavav is likely to get technology support and training on the refit from Russian state-owned agencies.

"The warship has just completed its guarantee refit at Karwar where air defence weapons were integrated on board. The next major maintenance task will be the dry docking that will take place next year," a Navy official told ET.