INS Vikramaditya to get its own missile shield soon

The country's largest and most powerful warship, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, will finally get its own missile shield soon. The Navy will cannibalize an Israeli Barak-I anti-missile defence system from frigate INS Godavari, which will be decommissioned shortly, for the carrier.

Under a $2.33 billion deal with Russia, the refurbished Admiral Gorshkov or INS Vikramaditya was inducted by the Navy in November 2013. With 45 MiG-29Ks ordered for another $2 billion to operate from its deck, the carrier is the costliest single weapon platform the country has ever bought.

But INS Vikramaditya came without any integral "close-in weapon systems" for protection against enemy aircraft, missiles and drones.

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