INS Vishal

• 06 May 2019

Why is it in News?

Budgetary woes has put India’s supercarrier INS Vishal on hold.

About INS Vishal:

• INS Vishal, also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 2 (IAC-2), is a planned aircraft carrier to be built by Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Indian Navy.
• It is intended to be the second aircraft carrier to be built in India after INS Vikrant (IAC-1), and the first supercarrier to be built in India.

What is the Present Issue with INS Vishal?

• INS Vishal was conceived as a 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier, embarking 55 aircraft and costing Rs 60,000 crore. After the MoD objected to the cost, the navy downsized the proposal to a 50,000-tonne carrier costing about Rs 50,000 crore. But the MoD remains unwilling to accord funding or sanction. Navy has time and again pointed that it needs INS Vishal to counter the aggressiveness of China in Indian Ocean Region.