INS Vishal

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INS Vishal (Sanskrit: Vishal "giant" ) (IAC-II) is the second Vikrant-class aircraft carrier which will be built by Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Indian Navy and the second aircraft carrier built in India.The design of the second carrier features significant changes from INS Vikrant (IAC-1), like an increase in displacement to over 65,000 tons and will be a nuclear-powered with CATOBAR system to launch heavier aircraft like larger fighters, AEW (airborne early-warning) aircraft and mid-air refueling tankers.

INS Vishal will make India third nation after United States and France to operate a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.The construction is expected to begin by late 2014.

Design and development
In April 2011, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma stated that construction of the second carrier was some years away as there were a number of higher spending priorities for the navy.

Design stage for INS Vishal (IAC-II) has begun, which is being undertaken by the navy’s 'Naval Design Bureau'. The navy has decided not to seek outside help in preparing the design concept and implementation plans. The navy might later seek help from the Russian Design Bureau in order to integrate the Russian aircraft onto Vishal. IAC-II will be a flat-top carrier with a displacement of 65,000 tons, 25,000 tons more than Vikrant and will be having a CATOBAR system, unlike the STOBAR system on IAC-I.

Launch
INS Vishal is expected to be launched before 2015 and commissioning is expected before 2025.

Carrier air group
The carrier air battle group will consist of possible mix of Naval versions of Tejas, Sukhoi/HAL FGFA, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and the Rafale M fighter jets are likely to operate from the aircraft carrier. The navy evaluated the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which is being used by the US Navy in their latest Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. General Atomics, the developer of the EMALS, was cleared by the US government to give a technical demonstration to Indian Navy officers, who were impressed by the new capabilities of the system. The EMALS enables launching varied aircraft including unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV). The carrier is expected to enter service by 2025. On 1 August 2013 Vice Admiral RK Dhowan, while talking about the detailed study underway on the IAC-II project, said that nuclear propulsion was also being considered.

Naval planners believe that, with INS Vishal likely to enter service in the early 2020s, they should plan on operating UCAVs from that carrier, as well as an AEW aircraft, and medium and light fighters. “We could greatly expand our mission envelope with UCAVs, using the pilotless aircraft for high risk reconnaissance and SEAD (suppression of enemy air defences). Mid-air refueling would let us keep UCAVs on mission for 24-36 hours continuously, since pilot fatigue would not be a factor,” says a naval planner.