印度国产航空母舰下水

choi

帕斯里恰, 印度国产航空母舰下水. VOA Chinese, Aug 12, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/conten ... 130812/1728071.html

, which is translated from

Anjana Pasricha, India Launches Indigenously-Built Aircraft Carrier. VOA, Aug 12, 2013
http://www.voanews.com/content/i ... arrier/1727930.html
("making it the fifth country after Britain, France, Russia and the United States to do so")

Quote: "Uday Bhaskar, former director of the National Maritime Foundation in New Delhi, said it is the first time India has embarked on such an ambitious project. 'For a country that does not have any significant indigenous capability, we don't make a main battle tank, we don't make an artillery gun, we don't even make a personal weapon. Forget about trainer aircraft and jet aircraft. So against this backdrop, to come to a point where you are able to design a carrier, and bring it from keel to launch is, for India, a technological and industrial accomplishment of considerable significance,' said Bhaskar.

My comment:
(a) The quotation is startling: "we don't even make a personal weapon!"
(b) Of course India is not the fifth. Japan 滔光養誨. See (2).
(c) I just read news reports from media outlets based in India. They all assert the steel come from India's state-own steel-makers. But my impression is it came from Russia. Indeed it is. See (3).

choi

(2) Japanese security | Wide-Mouthed Frog; The country launches its biggest warship since the second world war. Economist, Aug 9, 2013
http://www.economist.com/news/as ... r-wide-mouthed-frog

Note:
(a)
(i) Ana Martin Larranaga, The Big Wide-mouthed Frog. Walker Books Ltd, 1948.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/sh ... g_Wide_Mouthed_Frog
(ii) Keith Faulkner, Wide-Mouthed Frog. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1996.
http://www.abebooks.com/97808037 ... kner-0803718756/plp

I am clueless why Economist chooses this title.
(b) Izumo-class helicopter destroyer
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izumo-class_helicopter_destroyer
(The ships of this class will be the largest surface combatants of the JMSDF, taking over the mantle currently held by the Hyūga-class helicopter destroyers; launched Aug 6, 2013)
(i) Izumo Province 出雲国
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%87%BA%E9%9B%B2%E5%9B%BD
(ii) Hyūga ひゅうが is named after Hyūga Province 日向国 (713-1578 when it was conquered).
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/日向国
(c) Hugo Gye and Anthony Bond, It Looks Like an Aircraft Carrier, It Sounds Like an Aircraft Carrier... But the Japanese Are Adamant Their Biggest Ship Since WW2 Is a 'Flat-Topped Destroyer.' Daily Mail, Aug 6, 2013
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... pped-destroyer.html

showed an arial photo that Izumo is now just a hull--without any weapon system.
  
* There is no need to read the rest of the Daily Mail report.
(d) "The vessel is similar in size to the French and Italian carriers, the Charles de Gaulle and the Cavour."
(i) French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_aircraft_carrier_Charles_de_Gaulle_(R91)
(Launched 1994; Commissioned 2001; In service  Active service)
(ii) Italian aircraft carrier Cavour (550)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_aircraft_carrier_Cavour_(550)
(named after the Italian statesman and politician Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour [1810-1861; a leading figure in Italian unification]; Launched 2004; Commissioned 2008; Status  Active)

choi

(3) India Launches First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier. RT, Aug 12, 2013 (blog).
http://rt.com/news/india-launches-aircraft-carrier-377/
("The INS Vikrant will be launched two years behind schedule at a reported cost of around $7.7 billion. * * * The delays were reportedly caused by problems sourcing specialized steel from Russia. * * * The keel of the home-built Indian ship is almost completely constructed from high-quality, indigenously-produced steel")

My comment:
(a) There is no need to read the rest.
(b) INS Vikrant, the lead ship of Vikrant class, share the name with a Decommissioned aircraft carrier

INS Vikrant (R11)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Vikrant_(R11)
(HMS Hercules (R49) 1943-1967, sold to India in 1947 to become INS Vikrant 1961-1997; The name Vikrant was taken from Sanskrit vikrānta meaning "stepping beyond", ie "courageous" or "bold")