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The Indian Navy said that the IAC Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, has set sail for the third phase of sea trials, which will include intricate movements to establish detailed readings of how the ship performs in various conditions.

The goal of the first sea testing, which took place in August of last year, was to establish propulsion, navigation, and basic functions. The ship was put through its paces during the second sea trial, which took place in October and November.

The ship had been out for ten days and had already proven its viability on the second sortie. During the second sortie, various seamanship evolutions were also cleared successfully.

The IAC now sails to conduct intricate movements in order to obtain particular readings of how the ship performs under various conditions, having developed sufficient confidence in the ship's capability. During the experiments, scientists from the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, a DRDO lab in Visakhapatnam, will participate. Furthermore, the ship's different sensor suites would be put to the test.

In less than two weeks, India's President and Vice President paid two high-profile visits to the country. Following an assessment of the project's progress, both officials expressed their gratitude and best wishes to all project participants.

• The INS Vikrant, a massive warship, will be the Indian Navy's first Made-in-India aircraft carrier. It should be operational by August of this year.
• This places India among a restricted group of seven countries — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Italy, and China — that have unique skills in the design and construction of aircraft carriers.
• The previous aircraft carriers in the Indian navy came from the United Kingdom and Russia.
• The fact that the ship was able to perform basic flying operations on its first sortie marks a watershed moment in Indian warship construction, according to the navy.
• Vikrant, an indigenous aircraft carrier, is 262 meters long, 62 meters wide at its widest point, and 30 meters deep excluding the superstructure. There are a total of 14 decks, with five in the superstructure.
• The ship contains almost 2,300 compartments, which are designed to accommodate a crew of around 1,700 people, including specialized quarters for female officers when they board.
• The ship's top speed is around 28 knots, with a cruising speed of 18 knots. She can practically travel the whole Indian coastline twice without refueling, thanks to her 7,500 nautical mile endurance.