What's new

Aircraft Carrier Admiral Gorshkov: Delhi wanted a Lada, & now demands a Mercedes

nightcrawler

FULL MEMBER
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
1,400
Reaction score
0
The ongoing saga of the refurbishment of “Admiral Gorshkov” has spoiled relations between Delhi and Moscow for quite some time. The Russians are sick and tired of revised requirements from Delhi and have repeatedly raised the price of the Air Craft Carrier that is to be delivered to Delhi in 2012. The deal has come to a breaking point on several occasions, only to be salvaged with Delhi agreeing to pay more money to Russia. President Medvedev who once left Delhi on short notice after failed negotiations is now pressing this shipyard to push the ship out as soon as possible. It is still not certain that the political pressure can overcome the technical problems faced by the Sevmash yard.

As previously reported by BarentsObserver, Sevmash has already admitted that the aircraft carrier is a loss project for the yard.

In the meeting with Medvedev, Sevmash General Director Nikolai Kalistratov confirmed that “very much work remains with the aircraft carrier” .

At the same time, Mr. Kalistratov criticized the Indians for having raised their requirements from Sevmash. –They wanted a Lada, and now they demand a Mercedes, he told the president. Aircraft carrier blunders: 2009-07-03

The original price has been tripled ($6a7 million to $2 Billion) and there is a sense that it might be increased again. The main reason for the increase in the price is the unrelenting expectations of the Bhrartis who now expect a tip of the line ship–even though they purchased a mothballed dilapated tub.

The Russian are sick and tired of the Indian demeanor who continue to bargain endlessly. In recent years, India has grown closer to the USA, and many defense deals may be in the offing. Cracks are showing the Indo-Russian alliance and a chagrined Russia is now charging market prices for the ship.
A mutipolar world and the realities of South Asia have made India realize that red is thicker than greenbacks. The Indian establishment always suspicious of the US is predisposed to the Red Bear. This week proved the old axiom that when Delhi sees trouble it runs to Moscow. The Kremlin seeking new allies hasn’t totally hugged India but it sure wants the Billions of Dollars New Delhi is about to spend on airplanes. to that end, India has agreed to pay more for an archaic Aircraft Career call Admiral Gorshkov. India is desperate for icons and symbols of power.

India’s sole aircraft carrier, the 29,000 ton INS Viraat, is going to spend the next 16 months in a shipyard getting maintenance and upgrades, leaving India with no carrier capability. This was to have been avoided by the timely arrival (this year) of the refurbished Russian carrier, the 44,000 ton Gorshkov, as the INS Vikramaditya. Under this plan, the INS Viraat was to be retired in 2012, after 53 years service (for Britain and India). But now the INS Viraat will get its engine and hull refurbished, and its electronics upgraded, and possibly serve for another decade.

Meanwhile, India has agreed to pay an additional billion dollars to complete the delayed refurbishment of the Russian aircraft carrier Gorshkov. The Russians not only demanded more money, but also admitted that a labor shortage would delay delivery until 2012. An Indian shipyard team will try to get the carrier out of the Russian yards earlier, and will also keep an eye on quality control.

The Russians have also admitted that the project also suffers from shoddy workmanship. The Indians have lots of experience with this sort of thing in Russian weapons, and will try to catch mistakes before the ship gets to India, hopefully in two or three years, rather than four. The Indians will also help with reconstructing the blueprints for the ship, which were apparently lost, and that contributed to the delay as well.

The new deal will cost $2.5 billion. This includes the purchase of the Gorshkov, and Russian shipyards performing repairs, modifications and upgrades. Another $800 milliom is to be spent on aircraft, weapons and equipment. Building a Gorshkov type carrier today would cost about $4 billion, and take several years more. India is building another carrier, from scratch, but that 37,000 ton vessel won’t be ready until 2015.

The Admiral Gorshkov entered service in 1987, but was inactivated in 1996 (too expensive to operate on a post Cold War budget). The Indian deal was made in 2004, and the carrier was to be ready by 2008. But a year ago reports began coming out of Russia that the shipyard doing the work, Sevmash, had seriously miscalculated the cost of the project. The revised costs were more like $1.1 billion for the $700 million refurb. The situation proceeded to get worse, with Sevmash reporting ever increasing costs to refurbish the carrier.

The Indians were not happy, and at first insisted that the Russian government (which owns many of the entities involved) make good on the original deal. India sent its own team of technical experts to Russia, and their report apparently confirmed what the Russians reported, about shipyard officials low-balling the cost of the work needed. This is a common tactic for firms building weapons for their own country. It gets more complicated when you try to pull that sort of thing on a foreign customer. The Russian government will cover some of the overrun cost. The Sevmash managers who negotiated the low bid are being prosecuted.

Once refurbished, the Gorshkov, renamed INS Vikramaditya, should be good for about 30 years of service. That’s because, after the refit, 70 percent of the ships equipment will be new, and the rest refurbished. India Left Naked by James Dunnigan April 22, 2008

Though it cannot afford to, but Delhi wants to play in the big leagues. India will pay $2 billion for an antique aircraft carrier designed for 1980s. It is a shame that Indian navy got a piece of junk made look nice for $2 billion. India agreed to a $1.5 billion package deal signed in January 2004 for Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. It was Pranab Mukherjee, the Indian foreign minister and then defense minister who initiated the deal with the Russians. Now India has shell out as much as $2 billion more to Russia to get aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov by end-2012. The final cost is expect to be around $3 Billion. Actually the deal may nver go through. Many analysts believe that the Russians don’t want to sell the Admiral Gorshkov to Delhi.

Aircraft Carrier ?Admiral Gorshkov?: Delhi wanted a Lada, & now demands a Mercedes RUPEE NEWS: Recording History, Narrating Archives, Strategic Intellibrief Analysis: Noticias de Rupia | Nouvelles de Roupie | Rupiennachrichten | ???????

Analysis:

Indians are found to be quiet adept for the procurement of this ship & I feel that this really will cause a great surge on the Pakistan side for such an equivalent thing. However, Pakistan what always did is neutralizing such threats using an appropiate amount of submarines, which we recently made a deal with Germans. What I am thinking right now is which warplane India will opt out for. SU-33 is the farmost used warplane on this ship & whether India use this one or assign advance version of F-18 time will tell because India last year did made a deal for F-18 Super Hornets!!
Russian_aircraft_carrier_Kuznetsov.jpg.jpg
 
Source==rupeenews.......

Anyway india will bring Admiral Gorshkov at any cost
 
Analysis:
What I am thinking right now is which warplane India will opt out for. SU-33 is the farmost used warplane on this ship & whether India use this one or assign advance version of F-18 time will tell because India last year did made a deal for F-18 Super Hornets!!

It is common knowledge by now that India will use the carrier capable K version of the Mig 29. Gorshkov/Vikramaditya is too small to operate Su-33, which can barely get on/off the substantially larger Kuznetzov. Furthermore, there is no deal between India and Boeing for any F-18s, though F-18E/F was offered as MRCA for the Indian Air Force (not the Navy). The Indian Air Force has already sounded its negative opinion over F-18s.
 
The British are paying $3 billion each for 2 65k tonne carriers.

Thus far Gorskhov at 45k tonnes is going to cost india $2.2 billion.

If it rises anymore just drop the deal and go to Europe to build one afterall 2.2 billion dollars is not small change
 
The British are paying $3 billion each for 2 65k tonne carriers.

Thus far Gorskhov at 45k tonnes is going to cost india $2.2 billion.

If it rises anymore just drop the deal and go to Europe to build one afterall 2.2 billion dollars is not small change

Assuming a) getting IN would opt for a UK built carrier rather than a domestially built on, b) that UK would be willing to sell a carrier to India, and c) that it would be delivered at a time IN needs it.

World is a bit more complex that suggested.
 
We have already started building our own carrier mate. The ADS is a 38k tonne class Ship and an order for building a 50k+ tonne warship has also been stated. You will be looking at 64 new ships being inducted in the next decade.
 
The Russians have also admitted that the project also suffers from shoddy workmanship. The Indians have lots of experience with this sort of thing in Russian weapons, and will try to catch mistakes before the ship gets to India, hopefully in two or three years, rather than four. The Indians will also help with reconstructing the blueprints for the ship, which were apparently lost, and that contributed to the delay as well.

The Indians know what they want & what can be delivered. I see nothing wrong in the Indian stand.

If you can get a Merc by paying a little more than the cost a Lada - why not ?

The buyer & seller both need each other.
 
We have already started building our own carrier mate. The ADS is a 38k tonne class Ship and an order for building a 50k+ tonne warship has also been stated. You will be looking at 64 new ships being inducted in the next decade.

Tell me something I don't already know. I don't see what ÿour post add's to the discussion about the relative benefits of building domestically versus importing new from UK versus importing used/refurbed from Russia (esp. the 64 ship remark, the number of which includes a lot of vessels that are NOT major combattants. Besides, if you wait long enough, eventually you have a lot of old ships that need to be replaced so that while significant fleet expansion is implied, there actually won't be any - or at least not to that extent)

Pal.
 
Last edited:
The Russians have also admitted that the project also suffers from shoddy workmanship. The Indians have lots of experience with this sort of thing in Russian weapons, and will try to catch mistakes before the ship gets to India, hopefully in two or three years, rather than four. The Indians will also help with reconstructing the blueprints for the ship, which were apparently lost, and that contributed to the delay as well.

The Indians know what they want & what can be delivered. I see nothing wrong in the Indian stand.

If you can get a Merc by paying a little more than the cost a Lada - why not ?

The buyer & seller both need each other.

Gorshkov never was nor will be a Merc (She was taken out of Russian service after she had an engine/boiler room fire and was labelled 'beyond economic repair' for the russian navy. That doens't mean she was or will be useless, but let's not kid ourselves here: there's rethoric from both sides )
 
Last edited:
To get the negotiations to go through with UK, and then build it, would take too long. Add to that what planes would be compatible with the UK AC? Also would they be willing to give us the modern version of it? And the additional facilities required to incorporate the new version of AC and the planes would be more expensive.

Gorshkov is a stopgap measure. To fill the need for having an AC in the intermediate future. The MIG29's, past experience with Russian technology would be beneficial. Its Admiral Gorshkov or nothing. Until the indigenous AC's come into play.

Speaking of indigenous AC's, anyone know if India is planning on using the electromagnetic catapults in the foreseeable future?
 
well its not cars we talk about..nether these machines are used for racing a formula1 .....buiding a ship a huge one like this will require lots of years and the indian navy does not time for that...i mean they just want it like a pizza..so if u want a pizza you have to spend more.....further it will add to the blue water navy capabilities as it now i foresee it will big a big machine carrying hundreds of figter jets on it and slowly moving in the deep blue ocean to secure india's trade through sea...
 
people here create useless thread by subject line....i already see another thread for gorshov....i hope moderators look into it
 
In 1948, within six months of Indian freedom, a ten-year naval expansion plan had been prepared, largely by Royal Navy officers serving on secondment, for consideration by Government of India.
The plan was drawn up around the concept of two fleets: one for the Bay of Bengal and the second for the Arabian Sea, each to be built around a light fleet carrier,to be replaced subsequently by afleet carrier. The grandiose scheme provided for four fleet carriers and 280 ship-borne strike and fighter aircraft within the next few years. This plan received approval in principle from the Governor-General Earl Mountbatten,as well as the Prime Minister of India,Jawaharlal Nehru, but unfortunately failed to materialise because of a variety of reasons.
Hostilities with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir in the winter of 1947 had focused India’s attention on the Himalayas rather than the oceans, and the young nation’s scarce resources were being diverted to the Army
Arrival of the First Carrier
In 1957, the unfinished hull of HMS Hercules, a Majestic class light fleet carrier was acquired by India and taken in hand for completion in Belfast. Four years later she was commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Vikrant. Sister ships served in the Canadian/Australian navies for some years.
The aircraft complement of Vikrant was essentially a Hobson’s choice, and consisted of the Armstrong-Whitworth
(later Hawker-Siddley) Seahawk – a straight-wing, first generation ground-attack jet fighter – and the French-built Breguet Alize turboprop ASW machine.
The one single factor that led to the resurrection of the fleet air arm of the Royal Navy was the ‘discovery’ of the ski-jump by a young engineer named Lt Cdr Taylor. It was only with the ski-jump
installed on board that the small ‘through deck cruisers’ of the Invincible class could become viable STOVL platforms. Inida joyously followed suit, and the first Indian Navy Sea Harrier,FRS Mk. 51 was vertically landed on the deck of Vikrant, off Goa by the author in December 1983.
Arrival of the Second Carrier
The immediate outlook, however, remained bleak until 1985 when we received an offer from the Royal Navy for the sale of the 28,000-ton HMS Hermes. Laid down in World War Two, this 25-year-old ship had served the Royal Navy as a fixed-wing, commando & eventually STOVL carrier. The offer was eagerly accepted and, after a refit in Devonport, the Falklands flagship (wrongly claimed to have been struck by an Argentinean Exocet) sailed for India as INS Viraat.
Vikrant was finally de-commissioned in 1997, and the Indian Navy has since been operating with just the Viraat at sea, with her complement of Sea Harriers FRS Mk51, Sea King Mk42 ASW helicopters and the Indian-built version of the Allouette III, known as Chetak. Occasional visitors on board include the Kamov-28 (ASW) and the Kamov-31 (AEW) helicopters.
Aircraft Options
The Soviets, main purveyors of military hardware at that time, had only one shipboard fighter – the three-engined VTOL fighter Yak-36 (Forger) – to offer, but experience showed that the Sea Harrier, already in inventory, was superior in most aspects. And then there were two more options, both at different stages of development: the French Rafale-M shipboard fighter and the Indian-designed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
However, at the end one factor emerged clearly: aircraft catapults were manufactured only in the USA, and since this piece of machinery was unlikely to be available to India, we could discard ship designs which were based on conventional aircraft requiring a catapult launch. This eliminated all US-origin deck aircraft as
well as the Rafale as viable options. Since Indians had already decided that the Yak-36 did not have much merit, our ship designers were placed in limbo once again. This is when the ingenuity of the Russians came to rescue.
Having realised the limitations of their VTOL endeavours, they chose
three (conventional) shore-based combat aircraft and undertook extensive modifications to enable ramp take-offs and hook-assisted ‘arrests’ on board. The aircraft chosen were the Sukhoi-25 (trainer and strike aircraft), the Sukhoi-27 and the MiG-29. The modified versions of the aircraft were given the suffix “K” (for Korabelnyy, or ship) and this mode of operation added a new term to the lexicon of naval aviation: STOBAR which stood for ‘short take-off but arrested landing’.
By now the Indian Navy was seriously examining the Russians’ offer of their 1980s’ vintage helicopter/VTOL carrier Admiral Gorshkov, and a choice had to be made of a suitable aircraft. The obvious options were the Su-33 (a derivative of the Su-27K selected for operation from the 67,500-ton carrier, Kuznetsov), and
the Mig-29K. An evaluation revealed that both aircraft would meet navy operational requirements. The Su-33, though more capable, being dimensionally larger would not only not fit in the smaller hangar of the 44,500- ton Gorshkov, but would have marginal wing-tip clearances from the island structure during deck launch. It was therefore decided that the Mig-29K would equip the Gorshkov, to be
renamed INS Vikramaditya in Indian service.

The 830ft long angled flight deck would have a set of three arrester wires aft rated to handle aircraft of up to 22-ton all-up weight. A set of jet blast deflectors and hydraulic chocks would be installed to provide a 600ft deck run for launch of the Mig-29K and LCA (Navy), from the 14º ski-jump launch using afterburner. The ship would carry an air group of 30 aircraft and helicopters and would be crewed by about 1400 personnel.
The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier
The project received financial approval of the Government of India in January 2003, and first steel was ceremonially cut in Cochin Shipyard Ltd on 11 April 2005, when the ADS was re-designated as the ‘IAC’ or indigenous aircraft carrier. Consultancy for propulsion system integration will come from M/S Fincantieri of Italy (now in the final stages of completing the Italian carrier Count Cavour) and, for the aviation complex, from M/S Nevskoie Design Bureau of Russia.
As a practising adherent of ship-borne aviation for the past 45 years, the Indian Navy aims to fulfil its long-term operational commitments in the IOR by deploying two carrier task forces at sea,
while a third ship is under maintenance or refit.
 
Tell me something I don't already know. I don't see what ÿour post add's to the discussion about the relative benefits of building domestically versus importing new from UK versus importing used/refurbed from Russia (esp. the 64 ship remark, the number of which includes a lot of vessels that are NOT major combattants. Besides, if you wait long enough, eventually you have a lot of old ships that need to be replaced so that while significant fleet expansion is implied, there actually won't be any - or at least not to that extent)

Pal.
my post was for Maverick2009. He wanted to get a carrier from UK. Which I dont suppose will be sold to India anytime soon.
 
Speaking of indigenous AC's, anyone know if India is planning on using the electromagnetic catapults in the foreseeable future?
No it will have a ski-jump and arrested recovery, similar to the Gorshkov design.
 

Pakistan Affairs Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom