India’s 1st nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will see indigenous fighter jets replace MiG-29K
September 8, 2025
India has announced an ambitious vision to build its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, as part of a sweeping 15-year defence modernisation roadmap.
The plan marks a historic shift in the Indian Navy’s capabilities and posture, signalling India’s intent to become a leading blue-water force with long-range, self-reliant naval assets.
For the first time, the Indian Navy will also operate indigenous fighter jets from its carriers, moving away from decades of dependency on foreign military hardware.
The announcement, by the Ministry of Defence, comes amid intensifying regional tensions and maritime rivalry with China and Pakistan, both of whom India has clashed with in recent years.
These developments form the backbone of a broader strategy to build a self-sustaining, technologically advanced maritime force capable of asserting India’s interests across the Indo-Pacific.
“As the nation stands on the threshold of embracing greater challenges and responsibilities in the forthcoming decades, it is imperative that the Services be equipped accordingly,” the roadmap states.
Nuclear-powered carrier to lead India’s modernisation drive
The centrepiece of India’s naval transformation is the construction of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which will be India’s third flattop after INS Vikramaditya and the indigenously built INS Vikrant.
The new carrier will mark a generational leap in capability. Unlike its predecessors, both powered by fossil fuel engines, the nuclear carrier will be able to remain at sea for extended durations without refuelling, providing unmatched endurance, operational stealth, and long-range strike capability.
“The existing naval propulsion systems—steam, gas turbines and diesel—are well stabilised in the Indian Navy. But rising fossil fuel costs, the global climate focus, and the need for longer-range and stealthier vessels have sparked a propulsion revolution,” a senior defence official told AGN, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The induction of INS Arihant in 2009 showed India could build nuclear submarines. Bringing that reactor technology to carriers will achieve longer endurance, wider reach, and reduced emissions.”
This development will place India alongside the United States and France, the only nations currently operating nuclear-powered carriers, while China is also actively developing its own.
Indigenous fighters to replace MiG-29Ks
The roadmap calls for the phased replacement of MiG-29K fighters, currently deployed on India’s two existing carriers, with a mix of:
- 26 Rafale-Marine jets (contract signed with France in April 2025, worth ₹630 billion)
- Light Combat Aircraft (Navy)—an indigenous navalised version of Tejas
- A future fleet of twin-engine deck-based fighters under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)
By 2030, India expects to operate at least 62 Rafales, shared between the Navy and Air Force.
This transition away from Soviet-origin platforms marks a significant leap in both capability and strategic autonomy.
India to adopt EMALS and CATOBAR launch systems
In another major development, the roadmap confirms India’s intention to procure two Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS), the cutting-edge catapult launch technology used by the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford-class carriers.
Unlike traditional steam catapults, EMALS allows the launch of:
- Heavier and more diverse aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
- Aircraft in shorter intervals, increasing sortie rates
- Aircraft with reduced structural stress, extending operational lifespan
This signals India’s possible shift to a CATOBAR configuration (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) for the future carrier, moving beyond the STOBAR model (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) currently used on Vikrant and Vikramaditya.
Nuclear propulsion: From submarines to supercarriers
While India has experience in building nuclear-powered submarines (INS Arihant and successors), scaling this expertise to a surface carrier presents new challenges.
Unlike submarine reactors, which typically generate around 40,000 shaft horsepower, a nuclear aircraft carrier requires power outputs exceeding 300,000 shaft horsepower, along with:
- Long-life nuclear fuel (with no refuelling for decades)
- Advanced safety and shielding
- Integrated propulsion and electrical systems
- High-performance auxiliary power units
The US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford-class uses A1B reactors, each generating around 700 MW thermal, with integrated electric propulsion.
India’s roadmap envisions building at least 10 nuclear propulsion systems for the carrier and a new generation of surface combatants.
France’s Charles de Gaulle shows India the nuclear aircraft carrier in action
India’s carrier ambitions come at a time of deepening Indo-French maritime ties.
In January 2025, the French Carrier Strike Group, led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, visited Goa and Kochi for exercises and exchanges with the Indian Navy.
Key engagements included:
- PASSEX exercises at sea with India’s Western Fleet
- Cross-deck visits and professional exchanges
- Senior-level interactions between Indian and French naval leaders
This rare operational insight into nuclear carrier operations has informed India’s own planning and technology roadmap.
The Charles de Gaulle carries 30–40 aircraft, including Rafale-M fighters, E-2C Hawkeye AEW planes, and multi-role helicopters similar in scale to India’s existing flattops.
Unlike Vikrant and Vikramaditya, which rely on fossil fuel engines, the French flagship’s nuclear propulsion gives it unlimited range and a higher sustained operational tempo.
INS Vikrant proves India can build its own carriers—nuclear is the next step
India’s journey toward nuclear carrier capability was enabled by the successful design and construction of INS Vikrant, the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier.
Launched in 2022 and constructed at Cochin Shipyard, Vikrant demonstrates:
- High automation for navigation and damage control
- Compatibility with 30 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft
- Integration of MiG-29K, Kamov-31, MH-60R, ALH, and LCA-Navy
- A ski-jump-assisted STOBAR configuration
At present, only the United States and France operate nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. China is actively developing one, with speculation that it could be operational by the mid-2030s.
The US operates 11 nuclear supercarriers and has 50+ years of accident-free experience with naval reactors, accumulating over 6,000 reactor-years of operation
France’s Charles de Gaulle, commissioned in 2001, remains the only such vessel outside the US Navy
China has built a land-based prototype nuclear reactor for ship applications and is expanding its submarine reactor fleet
India’s entry into this group will mark a significant elevation of its strategic capabilities and global military status.
India’s nuclear carrier initiative is not just a technological aspiration; it is a reflection of its strategic imperative in a rapidly militarising Indo-Pacific.
India’s defence budget for the current fiscal year stands at ₹6.81 trillion ($77 billion), making it the world’s fourth-largest military spender, behind only the United States, China, and Russia.
