INS
Vikramaditya is a Project 11430 modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier which
entered into service with the Indian Navy in 2013. The ship has been renamed in
honour of Vikramaditya, a legendary 1st century BC emperor of Ujjain, India.
Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the
Soviet (until the dissolution of the Soviet Union) and Russian Navies before
being decommissioned in 1996 as she was too expensive to operate on a post-Cold
War budget. The carrier was purchased by India on 20 January 2004 after years
of negotiations at a final price of $2.35 billion. The ship successfully
completed her sea trials in July 2013 and aviation trials in September 2013.
She was formally commissioned on 16 November 2013 at a ceremony held at Severodvinsk,
Russia.
The
Hon'ble President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released a commemorative stamp on INS
Vikramaditya, at the Navy Day Reception, hosted by the Chief of Naval Staff,
Admiral D.K. Joshi, at Navy House, in New Delhi on 4th December, 2013.
