Editing INS Vikrant (1961) (section)

==History and construction==

{{See also|1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier}}
In 1943 the [[Royal Navy]] commissioned six [[light aircraft carrier]]s in an effort to counter the [[Kriegsmarine|German]] and [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Japanese]] navies.<ref name="faaa-hercules"/> The [[1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier]], commonly referred to as the British Light Fleet Carrier, was the result. Serving with eight navies between 1944 and 2001, these ships were designed and constructed by civilian shipyards as an intermediate step between the full-sized [[fleet aircraft carrier]]s and the less expensive but limited-capability [[escort carrier]]s.{{Sfn|Konstam|2012|p=46}}

Sixteen light fleet carriers were ordered, and all were [[keel laying|laid down]] as what became the ''Colossus'' class in 1942 and 1943. The final six ships were modified during construction to handle larger and faster aircraft, and were re-designated the ''Majestic'' class.{{Sfn|Hobbs|2014|pp=199–200}} The improvements from the ''Colossus'' class to the ''Majestic'' class included heavier displacement, armament, [[Aircraft catapult|catapult]], [[Elevator#Aircraft elevators|aircraft lifts]] and aircraft capacity.{{Sfn|Hobbs|2014|p=185}} Construction on the ships was suspended at the end of [[World War II]], as the ships were surplus to the Royal Navy's peacetime requirements. 
Instead, the carriers were modernized and sold to several [[Commonwealth nations]]. The ships were similar, but each varied depending on the requirements of the country to which the ship was sold.{{Sfn|Hobbs|2014|p=199}}

HMS ''Hercules'', the fifth ship in the ''Majestic'' class, was ordered on 7 August 1942 and laid down on 14 October 1943 by [[Vickers-Armstrongs]] at [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne|High Walker]] on the [[River Tyne]]. After World War II ended with [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender|Japan's surrender]] on 2 September 1945, she was [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 22 September, and her construction was suspended in May 1946.<ref name=faaa-hercules>{{cite web|url=http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/ships/Hercules.html|title=HMS Hercules|publisher=Fleet Air Arm Archive|access-date=13 January 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131203708/http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/ships/Hercules.html|archive-date=31 January 2012}}</ref> At the time of suspension, she was 75 per cent complete.<ref name="INS Vikrant - Bharat Rakshak"/> Her hull was preserved, and in May 1947 she was [[:wikt:laid up|laid up]] in [[Gare Loch|Gareloch]] off the [[Firth of Clyde|Clyde]]. In January 1957, she was purchased by India and was towed to [[Belfast]] to complete her construction and modifications by [[Harland & Wolff]]. Several improvements to the original design were ordered by the Indian Navy, including an [[Flight deck|angled deck]], [[steam catapult]]s, and a modified [[Aircraft carrier#Structure|island]].{{Sfn|Hobbs|2014|p=203}}