Navy keen on 3rd aircraft carrier to retain edge over China, even as 2nd delayed yet again

NEW DELHI: The commissioning of India’s second aircraft carrier has been delayed till September next year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While reconciling to this setback, the Navy remains all the more keen to push its case for a third aircraft carrier as well as two new fighter squadrons to counter China’s expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). As the US recently displayed in the South China Sea, much to China’s discomfort, nothing projects raw combat power like an aircraft carrier strike group (CSG) capable of moving o…