Navy to get 16 fighter aircraft, 16 helicopters
Visakhapatnam, Oct. 2:
The Indian Navy will get 16 MIG 29K fighter aircraft, including four trainer aircraft in two years, and 16 helicopters in four years, according to the Navy Chief, Adm. Nirmal Verma.
He told reporters here on Saturday that the 16 MIG 29 Ks were part of a first contract (with Russia) and 29 more fighter planes would be acquired through a second contract. Earlier, he commissioned the fleet tanker, INS Sakti, at the Naval Dockyard.
He expressed the hope that the refitting work on aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, being done in Russia, would be completed according to schedule in 2012. The work came to a halt for one-and-a-half years on price issues.
Referring to coastal security, Admiral Verma said there was a lot of improvement after the Mumbai attacks and the Navy, Coast Guard and the State governments were in coordination. The Cabinet Secretary was regularly reviewing the situation.
The important part in coastal security is fishermen, who are the eyes and ears of (our surveillance). More than 50,000 boats are operated from the coastal States and the information they are providing is good as they inform us whenever a suspicious looking vessel is noticed, he said.
The Navy Chief said a major change in coastal security could be witnessed by next year.
On INS Sakti built at an Italian shipyard, Adm. Verma said the contract was awarded for the Rs 900-crore ship in a global bidding, in which a Russian yard also participated. The Fincantieri shipyard in Italy mastered the block construction method in shipbuilding. Blocks of ship are built at different yards and every half is ready in all respects. The two halves of the ship were built in different yards. The ship was also delivered in the record time of less than 24 months.
Business Line : Industry & Economy / Government & Policy : Navy to get 16 fighter aircraft, 16 helicopters
Visakhapatnam, Oct. 2:
The Indian Navy will get 16 MIG 29K fighter aircraft, including four trainer aircraft in two years, and 16 helicopters in four years, according to the Navy Chief, Adm. Nirmal Verma.
He told reporters here on Saturday that the 16 MIG 29 Ks were part of a first contract (with Russia) and 29 more fighter planes would be acquired through a second contract. Earlier, he commissioned the fleet tanker, INS Sakti, at the Naval Dockyard.
He expressed the hope that the refitting work on aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, being done in Russia, would be completed according to schedule in 2012. The work came to a halt for one-and-a-half years on price issues.
Referring to coastal security, Admiral Verma said there was a lot of improvement after the Mumbai attacks and the Navy, Coast Guard and the State governments were in coordination. The Cabinet Secretary was regularly reviewing the situation.
The important part in coastal security is fishermen, who are the eyes and ears of (our surveillance). More than 50,000 boats are operated from the coastal States and the information they are providing is good as they inform us whenever a suspicious looking vessel is noticed, he said.
The Navy Chief said a major change in coastal security could be witnessed by next year.
On INS Sakti built at an Italian shipyard, Adm. Verma said the contract was awarded for the Rs 900-crore ship in a global bidding, in which a Russian yard also participated. The Fincantieri shipyard in Italy mastered the block construction method in shipbuilding. Blocks of ship are built at different yards and every half is ready in all respects. The two halves of the ship were built in different yards. The ship was also delivered in the record time of less than 24 months.
Business Line : Industry & Economy / Government & Policy : Navy to get 16 fighter aircraft, 16 helicopters
