India satisfied with pace of Admiral Gorshkov modernization.

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NEW DELHI, June 1 (Itar-Tass) -- A commission of the Indian defence
ministry, which ended the inspection of the repair and re-equipment of the
heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Gorshkov at the Sevmash defence
shipyard in Severodvinsk, praised the pace of its modernization.
"Perceptible headway has been made since the inspectio, held in September
2009," said Vice Admiral Nadel Nirajan Kumar, head of the chief department
for the building and purchasing of naval vessels. His words were quoted by
the Times of India on Tuesday.
According to vice Admiral Nadel Nirajan Kumar, "some 90 per cent of
the design work and some 50 per cent of the cable work have been completed
at the cruiser : About all the large-size equipment, including engines and
diesel generators, has been installed."
The command of the Indian Navy is sure that the aircraft carrying
cruiser, which will be given the name of Vikramaditya (Omnipotent) in
India, will be ready for sea trials by the beginning of 2011. The ship is
expected to be turned over to India before December 2012.
A contract for the modernization of the heavy aircraft carrying
cruiser Admiral Gorshkov was signed by Rosoboronexport and the Indian Navy
in January 2004 in New Delhi. Under the contract, the cruiser will be
repaired and fitted with the most up-to-date weapon systems, including a
shipborne aviation group, made up of MIG-29K fighters, as well as
anti-submarine patrol helicopters Ka-27 and Ka-31. The service life of the
cruiser is expected to be about 30 years.
According to the information of the Sevmash shipyard, which is
fulfilling the contract, the cruiser was ready by about 70 per cent by the
beginning of May.
-0-rom/ast