"New contracts for servicing the Indian Navy’s Vikramaditya
aircraft carrier and supplying her with spares, tools and accessories,"
the press office said.
Sevmash noted that the carrier’s operation in India "has
been a success". "India has been satisfied with the way we
meet our warranty commitments," the press office added.
Sevmash delivered the carrier to the Indian Navy on November 16, 2013
on condition of a one-year warranty servicing. As was said by the shipyard
previously, the Indian MoD suggested Sevmash perform the Vikramaditya’s
life-cycle support. The agreement on the purchase of the carrier was
signed in January 2004. India got the Admiral Gorshkov’s hull
free of charge on condition of its upgrade and outfitting with a carrier
air wing made up of Russian-built aircraft. In addition, Russia committed
to train the carrier’s complement. At first, the contract had
been valued at $1.5 billion and the upgrade expected to be completed
in 2008, but the work slipped behind schedule and the value of the deal
grew to $2.33 billion, according to India.
After the Vikramaditya had been upgraded, her total displacement increased
to 45,000 tons. The carrier was fitted with an up-to-date flight deck
and a ski-jump ramp for ramp-assisted takeoff, navigation, radar, communication
and aircraft control systems, etc. The ship carries 30 fixed-wing and
rotary-wing aircraft, including Mikoyan MiG-29K (NATO reporting name:
Fulcrum-D) fighters (the same are supplied for Russian aircraft carrier
Admiral Kuznetsov). Sevmash has repeatedly emphasized that the upgrade
resulted in a de-facto different ship.
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