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India is planning to build a ­copycat version of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s state-of-the-art supercarrier.

Talks are under way for its navy to buy detailed plans for the 65,000-ton warship and build a new version called INS Vishal in 2022.

An Indian delegation has already visited Rosyth dockyard in Scotland where HMS Queen Elizabeth was assembled and where a second supercarrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is now being built.

If a deal can be agreed, the new warship would be built in India but UK companies could supply many of the parts.

It would serve alongside India’s 45,000-ton carrier INS Vikramaditya – bought from Russia in 2004 – and the future 40,000-ton INS Vikrant, giving the nation a larger carrier fleet than Britain, its former colonial ruler.

(Image: PA)

The Indians want to use heavier aircraft than the F-35B short and vertical take-off jets now being tested on Queen Elizabeth, which would mean constructing different launch systems.

Defence Minister Stuart Andrew is staying tight-lipped about a possible deal. He said: “We have regular discussions with India on a range of equipment and capability issues. It would be inappropriate to comment further.”

The design for UK aircraft carriers is owned by the British and French aerospace giants BAE and Thales. A BAE spokeswoman said: “Discussion have begun with India. The design can be modified to meet Indian Navy and local industry requirements.”

(Image: PA)

The planned deal follows the sale of Falklands War carrier HMS Hermes to India in 1987. She was renamed INS Viraat and decommissioned two years ago.

However, the “Elizabeth Class” carriers have been dogged by controversy. The original bill for the two ships ­doubled to £6.2billion and there have been repeated claims that Britain would end up with carriers but no planes.

In fact the Queen Elizabeth is on track to launch F-35Bs, but to date it has carried mainly helicopters.