"As for the after-sale service as an integral
part of the aircraft carrier’s after-warranty maintenance, the
issue is currently under discussion with the Indian side. A final
decision is expected in the imminent future at the next round of talks,"
Budnichenko said.
In 2015, the Sevmash shipyard has fulfilled its obligations
to provide warranty services for the aircraft carrier’s equipment,
except for its several systems, and switched to its after-warranty
maintenance, Budnichenko said.
The Sevmash is assisting the Indian Navy in providing
maintenance services for some of the aircraft carrier’s equipment.
"We continue cooperating with our Indian partners
actively. The Indian Navy commanders have said that all the ship’s
systems and mechanisms allow its crew to accomplish assigned missions,"
the CEO said.
According to Budnichenko, the aircraft carrier and
deck-based aviation are being used "very intensively." Meanwhile,
a group of Russian specialists staying in India on a permanent basis
"is removing the ship’s imperfections quickly and providing
for its maintenance at a high professional level" in close cooperation
with its crew and Western Fleet commanders, Budnichenko said.
The Indian Navy received the aircraft carrier from
Russia in November 2013 after the Sevmash shipyard modernized it.
Under a package intergovernmental agreement signed in New Delhi in
2004, India received the hull of the Russian-made aircraft carrier
Admiral Gorshkov for free but on the condition that it would be modernized
at the Sevmash shipyard and armed with Russian-made aircraft.
After the repairs, the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya
has a displacement of 45,400 tons, a length of 283 meters and a hangar
length of 130 meters.
The ship has a modern flight deck and a ski-jump ramp
for aircraft takeoff, navigation and radar systems, aircraft communication
and control systems and other special equipment and mechanisms.
The aircraft carrier has a full speed of 29 knots
and endurance of 7,000 miles at a speed of 18 knots. The ship can
carry 30 aircraft, including Mikoyan MiG-29K/KUB (NATO reporting name:
Fulcrum-D) multipurpose fighter jets and Kamov Ka-27/Ka-31 (Helix)
helicopters. The ship’s crew totals 1,200 with a 450-strong
air wing.
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