India’s Vikramaditya aircraft carrier left a shipyard in northern
Russia on Tuesday, embarking on a long voyage to its permanent base
half way across the world, the Sevmash shipbuilder said.
The Vikramaditya, a refurbished Russian carrier known as the Admiral
Gorshkov, will make a short stop for refueling in the White Sea then
proceed to the port of Murmansk, where the warship will stay for several
days stocking up on fuel and other supplies before heading to a naval
base in Karwar in southwestern India. |
The aircraft
carrier, which was handed over to the Indian navy on November 16, will
be accompanied by an Indian tanker and a frigate on the first leg of
the voyage, which is expected to take about two months.
According to Sevmash, there are some 180 Russian specialists on board
the warship who are tasked with monitoring the vessel’s overall
performance and the on-site training of the Indian crew, as well as
providing assistance in fixing any possible glitches in the operation
of the ship’s systems, including air conditioning.
Part of the Russian personnel will stay on the Vikramaditya after its
arrival in India in order to provide maintenance services under a one-year
warranty agreement, followed by a servicing contract for a period of
up to 40 years, the Sevmash said.
The Vikramaditya carrier, which is now five years past its original
2008 delivery date, was supposed to have been handed over to India in
December 2012, but last year’s sea trials revealed that the vessel’s
boilers were not fully functional.
The ship’s refitting has lurched from one crisis to another since
India and Russia signed a $947 million deal in 2004 for its purchase
and refurbishment. Delivery has been delayed three times, pushing up
the cost to $2.3 billion, sparking acrimony between Moscow and New Delhi
over the contract.
The Indian Navy has already taken delivery of some of the carrier's
MiG-29K naval fighter aircraft, which were completed before their parent
ship was ready for sea. |
