Vikramaditya vs Vikrant
Vikramaditya vs Vikrant at a glance — displacement 45,000 vs 45,000 tons, length 284 vs 262 m, speed 30 vs 30 knots, crew 1,610 vs 1,645.
| Vikramaditya | Vikrant | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | 🇮🇳 India | 🇮🇳 India |
| Category | Aircraft carrier | Aircraft carrier |
| Type | Aircraft carrier | Aircraft carrier |
| Manufacturer | Chernomorskiy Yard | Cochin Shipyard Limited |
| Year introduced | 1987 | 2022 |
| Number built | 1 unit | 1 unit |
| Estimated unit price | $2,350 million | $3,100 million |
| Displacement | 45,000 tons | 45,000 tons |
| Maximum speed | 30.0 knots | 30.0 knots |
| Range | 13,500 nm | 8,000 nm |
| Length | 284.0 m | 262.5 m |
| Beam | 61.0 m | 62.0 m |
| Crew | 1,610 | 1,645 |
| Vikramaditya | Vikrant | |
|---|---|---|
| Armament |
|
|
| Propulsion | 8 turbo-pressurised boilers, 4 shafts, 4 geared steam turbines, generating 180,000 horsepower (134,226 kW) | 4 × General Electric LM2500 Gas Turbine (100 MW), 2 × Elecon COGAG Gearbox |
Detailed Comparison
India operates two 45,000-ton Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) aircraft carriers to sustain a dual-coast maritime strategy. While they share similar displacements and current air wings, their underlying architectures dictate different operational lifespans and sortie generation capabilities.
Development and Design
Vikramaditya began life as the Soviet Kiev-class aviation cruiser Baku in 1987. Procured by India in 2004 for $2.35 billion, it underwent reconstruction at Sevmash Shipyard. Engineers stripped out forward P-500 cruise missile launchers to install a 14.3-degree ski-jump. Because the hull was originally designed as a hybrid cruiser, its internal architecture is compromised, resulting in suboptimal aircraft lift placement and hangar workflow.
Vikrant, commissioned in 2022 for $3.1 billion, is India’s first domestically designed carrier. Constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited using domestic DMR 249 grade steel, it features a clean-sheet STOBAR layout. The flight deck incorporates side-mounted elevators that allow continuous launch operations, alongside 360-degree hangar turntables that accelerate aircraft turnaround times.
Weapons and Sensors
Both vessels utilize overlapping layers of point-defense missiles and rotary cannons.
- Vikramaditya relies on the legacy Russian LESORUB-E action information system. It carries Barak 1 and Barak 8 SAMs in vertical launch configurations, alongside four AK-630 CIWS.
- Vikrant utilizes a domestic combat management system. It carries a larger 64-cell VLS payload of Barak 8 interceptors, four AK-630 CIWS, and five OFT 12.7mm stabilized guns.
The primary lethality discriminator is long-term aviation capacity. Both currently deploy the Mikoyan MiG-29K and Kamov Ka-31 AEW helicopters. However, Vikrant is engineered to operate the heavier Dassault Rafale M and the in-development HAL TEDBF, expanding its strike radius beyond the aging Russian airframes.
Propulsion and Performance
Vikramaditya operates a steam propulsion system utilizing eight turbo-pressurized boilers generating 180,000 horsepower. This Cold War-era plant demands heavy maintenance cycles, though it provides a 13,500 nm range. Vikrant employs a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) plant with four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines outputting 100 MW. While its stated range is lower at 8,000 nm, the LM2500 turbines provide superior mechanical reliability, faster cold-start times, and direct power modulation. Both vessels sustain top speeds of 30 knots.
Deployment and Combat Record
Vikramaditya has anchored India's maritime posture since 2014. It executed early naval Tejas flight trials in 2020 and frequently leads multinational drills like Milan 2024. Vikrant reached final operational clearance in 2023 and rapidly integrated into fleet maneuvers. It commanded a carrier battle group in the Arabian Sea during the 2025 Operation Sindoor standoff and executed joint operations with the UK Carrier Strike Group during Exercise Konkan 2025.
Conclusion
Vikrant holds a definitive operational edge in both sustained deployments and high-intensity combat. Its purpose-built flight deck and hangar architecture generate faster sortie rates than Vikramaditya’s retrofitted cruiser hull. Mechanically, Vikrant’s gas turbines guarantee better on-station reliability compared to the maintenance-heavy steam boilers of its predecessor. Most critically, Vikrant’s structural capability to deploy the 4.5-generation Rafale M secures its relevance against peer adversaries, rendering Vikramaditya—restricted to the MiG-29K—a secondary asset in future naval engagements.