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Admiral Gorshkov Aircraft Carrier Makes No Haste
Russia will hand over Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier to India later than expected, Indian Defense Minister Shri A K Antony acknowledged in the letter initiated by inquiry of the lower house of the parliament.
According to Antony, the delay has been caused by unforeseeable reasons. Admiral Gorshkov is currently rebuilt by Indian order at Sevmash defense shipyard in Severodvinsk. This rebuilding is a real challenge, and the parties concerned tackle the problems in cooperation, the official made clear.
Under the intergovernmental agreement of January 2004, Russia has presented to India the hull of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier (that was promptly renamed into Vikramaditya) free of charge but under condition of rebuilding it at Sevmash facilities and arming it with Russia’s jets. The MiG-29K jets that are being delivered to the aircraft carrier benefit from stronger engine power and, therefore, are capable of taking off from the deck and of operating in tropical weather conditions.
The contract of $1.5 billion also commits Russia to train the crew of India and to establish an infrastructure for basing the vessel in the water area of the Indian Ocean.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Aug. 21, 2007
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