INS Vikrant at IFRL 2025: Projecting Naval Power in Sri Lankan Waters
Scale and Symbolism
Twenty Indian warships — the largest contingent — are joined by 38 foreign vessels from 22 nations including the United States (USS Abraham Lincoln), China (Type 055 destroyer), France (FS Provence), Japan (JS Izumo), Australia (HMAS Sydney), and Russia (RFS Admiral Gorshkov). Yet it is INS Vikrant, flying the MiG-29K and naval Tejas, that towers above all. At 262 metres and carrying 30+ aircraft, she is the only non-American carrier in attendance and the first Indian carrier to operate east of Malacca since INS Viraat’s 1990s deployments.
Operational Highlights of the Deployment
- December 6–7: Dual-carrier operations with USS Abraham Lincoln in the Bay of Bengal — first ever Indo-US carrier interoperability outside Malabar
- December 9: Live MiG-29K deck-launch demonstrations for 15 regional navies
- December 10: Joint anti-submarine exercise with Sri Lanka Navy P-625 and Indian ASW corvettes
- December 11: Passage exercise with Chinese PLAN Task Group 48 — closely watched by both sides
Strategic Messaging to Multiple Audiences
To Colombo: “India is your first responder and security guarantor.” The deployment coincides with the formal handover of Dornier-228 maritime patrol aircraft and offshore patrol vessels under a new $500 million defence line of credit announced during President Dissanayake’s Delhi visit in October 2025.
To Beijing: “The Indian Ocean is not China’s lake.” Vikrant’s presence counters PLAN’s growing footprint (26 port calls in IOR in 2025) and reassures smaller nations wary of Belt & Road debt traps.
To the region: SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is backed by hard power. Every littoral state from Seychelles to Singapore was invited; 18 accepted.
Vikrant’s Growing Prowess
Since commissioning in September 2022, INS Vikrant has logged over 12,000 deck landings and 180 days at sea in 2025 alone. Upgrades completed in October 2025 include:
- Integration of naval Uttam AESA radar on MiG-29K
- Barak-8 ER and BrahMos-NG compatibility
- First operational deployment of twin-seat naval Tejas trainer
- Full complement of 26 fighters + 10 Kamov-31 and MH-60R helicopters
By 2027, Vikrant will embark the TEDBF (Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter), giving India two carrier air wings with 5th-generation capability.
Diplomatic and Industrial Spin-offs
Parallel to the review, the India–Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Dialogue signed agreements for:
- Joint development of a mini-AIP submarine with L&T and Colombo Dockyard
- Trincomalee as permanent logistics hub for Indian warships
- Training of 200 Sri Lankan sailors annually at INS Vikrant’s shore-based facility in Goa
HAL and Sri Lankan Aviation Services are in final talks for a licensed Tejas production line — potentially the first export customer.
A Historic Moment in Pictures
The iconic image of the review: INS Vikrant at anchor off Trincomalee with MiG-29Ks in diamond formation overhead, framed by the Sri Lankan and Indian ensigns — a visual that will define India’s maritime century.
“When INS Vikrant sails into Trincomalee, she carries not just aircraft, but India’s promise: we will never again be a land-locked power.” — Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of Naval Staff
As the sun sets over the Bay of Bengal on December 12, one truth is unmistakable: the Indian Ocean has a new sentinel, and her name is Vikrant.
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