Posted on 02/02/2010 9:56:39 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Indian Navy will formally induct the Russian-made MiG-29K naval fighter jets for deployment on Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier on February 19 in the western state of Goa.
The first four of the 16 MiG-29Ks that India had bought from Russia in 2004 along with Gorshkov were delivered at the INS Hansa naval base in Goa in a knocked-down condition on December 4 last.
Senior Indian Navy officers said the jets have been assembled and the Russian pilots are flying them as a standard procedure before Indian Navy pilots takes over from them.
"The formal induction ceremony has been fixed for February 19 at INS Hansa, which also has a maintenance and training facility for the aircraft and its pilots. The squadron has been named Black Panthers," a Navy spokesperson said in Dew Delhi Tuesday.
The fighter jets will start operation after the 45,000-ton Kiev class aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, rechristened INS Vikramaditya, is delivered for operation in 2012 after completion of refitting in the Russian shipyard Sevmash.
The jets have been supplied under the original $1.5 billion deal signed with Russia in January 2004 for the refit and supply of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and the MiG-29Ks, $974 million went towards the warship and $526 million for the 16 fighter jets.
Massive undervaluation done by the Russians at the time of the signing of the contract, cost increases in materials, additional work requirements forced them to steeply escalate the price to between $2.2 billion and $2.9 billion.
Negotiations are reported to have been concluded for a final price settlement, but the same has not been officially disclosed.
India and Russia last month signed another $1.2 billion deal under which the Indian Navy would acquire 29 additional MiG-29Ks, bringing the total number of MiG-29Ks on order to 45.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.ino.com ...
The Indians, learning carrier ops, from the Russians......That should be interesting to say the least...
China will have the former Varyag out of port and completely worked up before the INS Vikramaditya makes it to India.
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Indians get tired of waiting for the Ruskis to finish fixing it, have it towed to India and finish fitting it out themselves.
That is probably the only way they will get the thing operational.
India has been doing carrier-ops since 1961.
ping
I think this is a one day record for number of sonobouy pings.
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Sometimes watching someone doing it wrong helps you learn how to do it better than watching someone who does it almost flawlessly.
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