Russia to hand over Vikramaditya on Nov. 15

[Abingdonboy]

INS Vikramaditya will be handed over to the Indian Navy on November 15 at a formal ceremony in the Russian northern seaport of Severodvinsk on the White Sea.

The delivery date was confirmed at talks Defence Secretary R.K. Mathur held in Moscow on Monday, according to informed sources.

A high-level Indian defence delegation paid a one-day visit to Moscow to prepare an annual session of the Indo-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation that will meet in Russia next month under the chair of the two Defence Ministers.

The upgraded and retrofitted aircraft carrier is now completing sea trials and is expected to return to the Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk in the next few weeks.

The ship was to be delivered last December, but failed the sea trials after its boilers and some other systems malfunctioned. This time, all systems performed flawlessly, including daytime and night takeoff and landings by MiG-29K deck fighter planes, the sources said.

The sides were tight-lipped on the issue of India acquiring a second nuclear submarine from Russia, but the sources confirmed that Moscow was willing to lease another Akula class submarine if India paid for completing its construction. The submarine has been lying half-built at the Amur Shipyard in the Russian Far East since it was mothballed in the 1990s for lack of funds.

On the recent accident in which INS Sindhurakshak sank after rocked by explosions, the Russian side agreed to provide expert assistance for raising the submarine and carrying out its technical inspection.

Russia will also beef up its team of 100 engineers, now deployed in Vishakhapatnam in order to speed up midterm repairs to INS Sindhudhvaj and INS Sindhushashtra. The Russian side also offered to have two more Indian Navy Kilo class submarines undergo midterm repairs in Russia, the sources said.

In reviewing progress of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, the sides noted with satisfaction the completion of preliminary design phase earlier this year. It is hoped that a contract for detailed design could be signed before the end of the year if the sides sort out the issue of costs.

Russia to hand over Vikramaditya on Nov. 15 - The Hindu

 

[chhota bheem]

Great news
Finally wait ends .

 

[Abingdonboy]

Great news
Finally wait ends .

Let's wait and see if the Russians can keep even this deadline

 

[Sergi]

Thats just ceremony . We will have to wait till Feb/March 2014 till "VIKIDI" enters our water.

Let's wait and see if the Russians can keep even this deadline

Nothing's left to be done. So yes they will

 

[Abingdonboy]

Nothing's left to be done. So yes they will

Hahah, I've lost all faith in the Ruskies to deliver anything on time. We've been in this postion before when it looked like all the lights were green, let's wait and see what rabbit the Russians pull out of the hat next the toward to yet more delays

 

[Iggy]

Finally!!!

 

[Abingdonboy]

They don't seem to want to let this ship go- it has been a good moneymaker for so long.

 

[Sergi]

Hahah, I've lost all faith in the Ruskies to deliver anything on time. We've been in this postion before when it looked like all the lights were green, let's wait and see what rabbit the Russians pull out of the hat next the toward to yet more delays

Dude last time they went vocal before the trials. They learned the lesson and didn't utter a word till all trials are over. So no more surprises for sure.

 

[nair]

So Nov - 15th is the latest deadline.........

 

[Abingdonboy]

Dude last time they went vocal before the trials. They learned the lesson and didn't utter a word till all trials are over. So no more surprises for sure.

We shall see bro- like I said l, I've got no confidence in these people anymore!

 

[Sergi]

We shall see bro- like I said l, I've got no confidence in these people anymore!

Hahaha well I still prefer them over uncle sam.

Inside news - all tests are over and finishing touches are being done to ship. Some painting. It will be ready in Sept end.
There must be some big event in Nov for Russians thats why they are doing the handover in Nov. if you remember last year date too was Nov.

 

[anant_s]

Finally some good news to start the day.

@ abingdonboy: Considering the past delays, your pessimism is not unjustified, but now that trials have gone well, i suppose we should all be reasonably sure that this time promise will be kept.

 

[[Bregs]]

Hope they deliver it this time on date promised

 

[Tshering22]

Let's pray that they deliver it on time. For the price they're charging it is still a bargain considering that a similar carrier would cost almost double from US, UK or France.

The announcement comes probably after seeing Vikrant II take to the sea.

 

[SRP]

Lets wait till it touch Indian shore.