INS Vikramaditya: Aircraft Carrier Acquisition from Russia Delayed, Cost Overruns Expected
Russia will not be able to deliver the refitted aircraft carrier Gorshokov next year as scheduled. The delivery has now been pushed to 2010 and it's going to cost $113 million extra.This cost is over and above the $ 1 billion that India is paying for its refit and upgrade. The delay is apparently because Russian builders underestimated the length of cabling required -- it's not 700 km but 2,400 km, they have told the Indian Navy.Naval Headquarters is sending a senior officer to Moscow to assess the situation. The Navy's only other carrier the Viraat was due to be retired from service in 2012.Russia and India came to an agreement over the sale of the ship, the then-Admiral Gorshkov, which they had been haggling over for many years, in 2004, following which the ship is being extensively refitted. It is projected to replace INS Viraat. US$800 million is budgeted for refit and upgrade by the Indian government.Upgrade plans involve stripping all the weaponry from the ship's foredeck, converting her from a hybrid carrier/cruiser to a pure carrier, allowing her to operate the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Sea Harrier aircraft. The deal also includes the purchase of 30 MIG 29K Fulcrum D (Product 9.41) aircraft, six Kamov Ka-31 Helix attack helicopters and reconnaissance anti-submarine helicopters, torpedo tubes, missile systems, and artillery units, costing an additional US$700 million.The ship will be operated in a STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Assisted Recovery) configuration, with a 14 degree ski-jump on the bow and three arrestor wires on the stern. All reconfiguration work is being completed at Severomorsk
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What sort of a load in fuel and weapons can an aircraft carry when taking off on a ski jump.Not very much, is my guess.A fully loaded aircraft will require a much higher unstick velocity which can only be provided by a steam catapult.Until we get this on the follow on carrier from Cochin our carrier aviation will have to be bolstered by heavier long range shore based aviation.
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