In a historic development, Indian Navy's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and MiG 29K jets made their first landing and take-off attempts on INS Vikrant.
The indigenously developed LCA landings were carried out by the Navy's pilots.
"The Indian Navy takes a significant step towards operationalising Indigenous Aircraft Carrier by successful landing of MiG-29K on INS Vikrant by Naval pilots demonstrating India's prowess in Aircraft Carrier design, construction and operations while enhancing Navy's combat readiness," Navy said.
"A historical milestone achieved towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat by Indian Navy as naval pilots carry out landing of LCA (Navy) onboard INS Vikrant," the Navy said in a statement.
India's first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (IAC I) was commissioned into the Indian Navy by PM Modi in September 2022.
Becoming a strategic asset of the Indian Navy in the Indo-pacific region, the commissioning of INS Vikrant made India's entry into the elite group of nations that are capable of manufacturing aircraft carriers with a capacity of over 40,000 tonnes.
This feat will further boost India's capability to design, develop, construct, and operate indigenous aircraft carriers with indigenous fighter aircraft.
Earlier, a French Navy official in a cryptic tweet hinted that the naval version of Rafale fighter jets may also deck up at INS Vikrant.
ALSO READ | PM Modi targets Congress over Rafale protests, says 'truth revealing itself today'
ALSO READ | 'Pegasus, Rafale...': Nirmala Sitharaman says Oppn continuously ran negative campaigns against Modi govt
