Government run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) supplied military grade special steel for construction of India’s first domestically constructed Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)-I, industry sources said on Tuesday.
The aircraft carrier constructed at government Cochin Shipyard Limited and to be commissioned in September 02, 2022, was supplied with military grade DMR-294A steel by SAIL, the sources said.
Though details of the constructure are classified the sources said that an estimated 21,000 mt of special steel was supplied by SAIL for construction of the aircraft.
The special steel produced at SAIL’s Rourkela steel mill in Odisha was developed and researched jointly by the steel company and Defence Metallurgical Laboratory.
Following successful development and supply of DMR-294A, SAIL is exploring options of exports of the special steel to defence equipment manufacturers overseas, sources said.