The official debut of India's first locally built aircraft carrier will be marked by the raising of a new naval flag that replaces a British colonial emblem, according to the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a reminder of India's nine decades as a crown dependent, which came to an end with independence in 1947, the present ensign prominently displays a cross of Saint George, the flag of England, and other symbols. When the Vikrant is commissioned on Friday in the southern Kerala state, which his administration hailed as "a huge step" for military independence, Modi will unveil the new design. According to a statement from his office released on Tuesday, "doing away with the colonial history and fitting the rich Indian maritime tradition, the PM will also unveil the new naval emblem during the occasion." Except for a brief period between 2001 and 2004, when the Hindu nationalist government of the time replaced it with a blue Indian Navy crest, the Saint George cross has been a part of the naval ensign since 1928. According to local media sources, it was reinstated in response to concerns from service members that the crest was difficult to distinguish against the color of the sky and the water. The Vikrant joins a smaller aircraft carrier that was acquired used from Russia, a longtime significant armaments supplier to New Delhi.
The goal of Modi's administration has been to wean the nation off its reliance on imports of military gear and establish an indigenous defense hardware industry. It has been cautious about the strategic threat presented by China's expanding presence in the Indian Ocean, raising security worries this month when neighboring Sri Lanka permitted a port visit by a Chinese research vessel suspected of spying activities. Along with the United States, Japan, and Australia, India is a member of the so-called Quad, an Indo-Pacific security alliance designed to offer a more substantial counterweight to China's growing military and economic strength.
AFP
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