Rajnath Singh boards INS Vikrant days after Navy boxed Pak during Op Sindoor

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday visited INS Vikrant, India's first indigenously-built aircraft carrier, currently deployed in the Arabian Sea. The visit came weeks after the Indian Navy's strategic Carrier Battle Group, led by INS Vikrant, played a decisive role during Operation Sindoor.

During his visit, Singh reviewed operational outcomes of the mission and interacted with naval personnel who were part of the deployment. His visit is seen as a morale booster for the forces, following Operation Sindoor's success in exerting pressure on Pakistan to de-escalate tensions.

Defence sources said that INS Vikrant's deployment acted as a strategic deterrent and sent a strong message to the adversary. The battle group's presence in the northern Arabian Sea, comprising 8 to 10 warships including destroyers and stealth guided missile frigates, reportedly influenced Pakistan's decision to seek a ceasefire. Pakistani naval forces remained docked at the Karachi Naval Base during the recent military conflict, avoiding direct confrontation.

Sources told India Today TV that the deployment included seven destroyers equipped with BrahMos missiles, Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM), and Varunastra heavyweight torpedoes, capable of engaging surface, aerial, and underwater threats.

Operation Sindoor was launched amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours earlier this month in response to the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam which killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists.

The Indian Navy's forward positioning of the Carrier Battle Group, with MiG-29K fighter jets embarked aboard INS Vikrant, demonstrated India's readiness to escalate if provoked — not just at sea, but against coastal assets as well.

Commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2022, INS Vikrant stands as a symbol of India's growing maritime strength.

The 45,000-tonne warship, built at a cost of approximately Rs 20,000 crore, was designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited. With an indigenous content of 76 per cent, INS Vikrant represents a massive leap in India's self-reliance in defence manufacturing.