India's ambitions in aircraft carrier construction ultimately ended in failure.
The initial dream of building three aircraft carriers faced numerous challenges, and now even maintaining the second one has become difficult, concluding with a painful price.
All of this seems to coldly remind us of how far the distance is between dreams and reality.
India's affection for aircraft carriers resembles that of an ardent fan, filled with passion for their idol.
However, this "idol" has never truly rewarded India in return.
INS Vikrant, as India's first aircraft carrier, showcased remarkable performance during the third India-Pakistan war, but it also intensified India's obsession with aircraft carriers.
Yet, the subsequent carriers, like INS Viraat and INS Vikramaditya, made this dream gradually seem fragile.
INS Viraat had exorbitant maintenance costs, while INS Vikramaditya frequently encountered malfunctions, raising questions about its cost-effectiveness.
When India's own built INS Vikrant was launched, it stirred excitement but also presented an awkward situation of "small ship, big guns," much like buying a luxury car only to find it can only circle the streets.
India's obsession with aircraft carriers has geographical strategic considerations; its location in the Indian Ocean makes the existence of aircraft carriers seemingly indispensable.
However, no matter how beautiful the wish, economic realities bring clarity. The construction and maintenance of aircraft carriers are no small matters. The budget for INS Vishal soared, ultimately forcing India to halt the project, akin to many people's dreams of buying a car: when the budget exceeds, everything returns to reality.
What’s more frustrating is that India's aircraft carrier technology reserves remain stuck at the "dream stage."
The failure of INS Vishal has sounded the alarm to the world: building aircraft carriers cannot be solved by mere slogans; India's industrial base is insufficient to support such a massive project, and continuing to push forward will only place greater pressure on the defense budget.
The demise of INS Vishal directly shattered India's "three-carrier plan."
Facing reality, India may need to turn to more pragmatic military equipment, with the construction of submarines and smaller surface vessels potentially becoming a new direction.
Compared to aircraft carriers, these "little brothers" are undoubtedly more economical, and the Indian Navy must learn to make reasonable arrangements within a limited budget.
In the context of geopolitical dynamics, India might need to abandon the fantasy of competing with major naval powers on equal footing and instead consider how to defend its maritime security with limited resources.
India's "three-carrier plan" was actually intended to showcase its naval strength rather than meet real combat needs.
In modern naval warfare, the role of aircraft carriers has significantly changed; excessive reliance on them may instead become a burden on national strategy.
The fundamental reason behind India's obsession with aircraft carriers is the desire to showcase its status as a major power, but with the development of China's "anti-carrier" strategy, this "show-off" naval construction seems increasingly unrealistic.
India's military project management has structural issues; the failure of the aircraft carrier project is just the tip of the iceberg.
Multiple arms projects frequently face budget overruns and delays, reflecting a lack of unified coordination and oversight mechanisms in India's military-industrial system from project initiation to execution.
Take the Tejas fighter jet as an example; after decades of delays, progress remains slow.
The failure of INS Vishal is not just a setback for the aircraft carrier project, but also a microcosm of India's entire arms management system.
In the future, improving the efficiency of arms procurement and management will be an important issue that India must address.
With the dream of aircraft carriers shattered, India might take this opportunity to rethink its approach and consider the possibilities of unmanned aircraft carriers.
With a shortage of personnel and limited budget, investing in cutting-edge technology might win international attention.
Unmanned aircraft carriers, utilizing remote control technology, could become India's next "dream" to pursue.
India's aircraft carrier dreams have evaporated, with over 20 billion in investments turned to vapor, but its ambitions will not easily fade.
Hopefully, in the future, India can be more pragmatic and grounded, ensuring that the dream of being "Asia's number one" does not become a laughingstock.
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