The Indian navy announced on Monday that the nuclear-armed country's first domestically built aircraft carrier is now fully operational.
The 44,000-ton INS Vikrant is the largest military vessel ever built in India.
The news comes as India and China—which has the largest navy in the world, including three aircraft carriers—compete for dominance of the Indian Ocean.
China has a total of more than 370 ships and submarines in service, including the world's second-largest aircraft carrier fleet. Only the United States, with 11, has more "flattops."
Both India and China have nuclear weapons. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated that as of January this year, China has 500 warheads in its nuclear arsenal, while there are 172 nuclear warheads in India's military stockpile.
"With the completion of various trials and the ship's fleet integration, INS Vikrant is now fully operational and is operating under the Western Fleet," Vice Admiral V Srinivas told the media aboard the naval ship INS Shardul in Kochi, a major port city located on India's western coastline.
The 40,000-ton INS Vikramaditya, India's other aircraft carrier, was purchased from Russia and commissioned in 2013.
Russia has historically been a major supplier of weapons to India, with the South Asian nation accounting for 36 percent of Moscow's arms exports between 2019 and 2023. But unconfirmed reports say India has begun moves to minimize the use of the more outdated parts of its Russian arsenal.
The Vikrant is equipped with 30 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and can operate a diverse air wing including Russian-made MiG-29K fighter jets and Kamov Ka-31 helicopters, American MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, as well as indigenously developed Advanced Light Helicopters and Light Combat Aircraft.
The Indian navy says that the indigenous aircraft carrier is designed with advanced automation features and can accommodate 1,600 male and female crew members.
At the end of February and into March, the Indian navy conducted a show of force at sea by operating the Vikramaditya and the Vikrant together off the country's east coast. China held a similar dual aircraft carrier operation in late October in the South China Sea.
To ensure sustained operational capabilities and counter China's growing presence, India will build a second indigenous aircraft carrier, according to a report last year. The vessel, which is expected to cost $5 billion, will have a displacement of 45,000 tons and operate 28 fighter jets and helicopters.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
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