INS Vikramaditya (R33), meaning 'Valour Comparable to the Sun', is the flagship of the Indian Navy — a massive STOBAR aircraft carrier originally built for the Soviet Navy. She represents one of the most remarkable naval transformations in history: from a Cold War Soviet cruiser to India's premier power-projection platform.

From Baku to Vikramaditya — A Cold War Story

The carrier's story begins in the Soviet Union. She was laid down in 1983, launched in 1985, and commissioned as Baku in 1987 for the Soviet Navy. After the Soviet collapse, she was renamed Admiral Gorshkov and served with the Russian Navy before being decommissioned in 1996 due to a boiler room fire.

India identified the ship as an opportunity to acquire a large carrier at strategic value. After difficult multi-year negotiations, India signed the deal with Russia in January 2004. The transformation involved:

• ▸Removing all Soviet cruise missiles and SAM systems
• ▸Converting the forward deck from weapons platforms to a ski-jump flight deck
• ▸Rebuilding approximately 1,750 of 2,500 compartments
• ▸Replacing Soviet propulsion, electronics, and combat management systems
• ▸Installing a 14.3° ski-jump ramp for STOBAR aircraft operations

The modernised carrier arrived in India in January 2014 and was formally inducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 June 2014.

Air Wing

General Characteristics