INS Vikramaditya required extensive rebuilding of a former Kiev-class hull. The scale and difficulty of that work invite a comparison with HMS Victorious. In this assessment, the money absorbed by the conversion limited what India could spend on other naval needs. Evaluating such a purchase therefore requires considering the wider fleet budget as well as the carrier delivered at the end of the work.
Notable Point · 1:47:34-1:48:27
Vikramaditya as a carrier conversion that consumed the fleet budget
India's heavily rebuilt Russian carrier shows how an ambitious conversion can deliver capability while absorbing money needed elsewhere in the navy.