The Indian Navy currently operates two carriers — INS Vikramaditya, acquired from Russia, and the indigenously designed and manufactured INS Vikrant — both of which operate the Mig-29K fighter jet. File image of Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya
| Photo Credit: PTI

Continuing the dialogue on aircraft carrier cooperation, India and the U.S. discussed plans for future co-operation under various aspects of Aircraft Carrier Technology at the 8th round of the India-U.S. Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation (JWGACTC), constituted under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), the Navy said in Tuesday.

A six-member U.S. delegation headed by Rear Adm. Casey Moton, Programme Executive Officer (PEO), Aircraft Carriers, was in Delhi for the dialogue held from May 13 to 16; they also visited various defence establishments in Delhi and Goa. From India, the dialogue was co-chaired by Rear Adm. Vishal Bishnoi, Assistant Controller Carrier Projects. The working group held its first meeting in 2015 and the last edition was held in the U.S. in April 2024.

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“Both sides appreciated the remarkable work undertaken by the Joint Working Group towards valuable information exchange on Aircraft Carriers. Plans for future co-operation under various aspects of Aircraft Carrier Technology were discussed and a Joint Statement was also released,” the Navy said.

At Goa, professional interactions were undertaken with the Indian Navy’s aviation specialists on carrier operations and technical aspects, it added.

The Indian Navy currently operates two carriers — INS Vikramaditya, acquired from Russia, and the indigenously designed and manufactured INS Vikrant — both of which operate the Mig-29K fighter jets. Unlike the bulk of the U.S. nuclear-powered super carriers displacing 100,000 tonnes, the Indian carriers are medium-sized with a displacement of over 40,000 tonnes, conventionally powered and use a ski-jump to launch aircraft.

The ambitious DTTI initiative between India and the U.S. was announced a decade ago with two joint working groups and four path funder projects for co-development and co-production, though they made no progress.