INS Vikramaditya dedicated to the nation

Reeling under a spate of unfortunate accidents, the Indian Navy had a positive development today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov (rechristened as INS Vikramaditya ) to the nation.

Here is the Press Release issued by the Ministry of Defence.

Prime Minister Spends A Day Onboard INS Vikramaditya

New Delhi: 24 Jyaistha 1936

Saturday, 14 June 2014

        

"In his first visit to an operational military formation after assuming office, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated the country’s new aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya to the Nation. The Prime Minister embarked the aircraft carrier at sea off Goa, which was operating in the company of ten other frontline warships of the Indian Navy’s ‘Sword Arm’ – the Western Fleet.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Chief Minister of Goa Shri Manohar Parrikar, the Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, the National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval, the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan and the Defence Secretary Shri RK Mathus. He was received onboard INS Vikramaditya by the Commander-in-Chief, Western Naval Command  Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, and Fleet Commander, Western Fleet Rear Admiral AK Chawla,.

On arrival at the Naval Air Station INS Hansa earlier in the morning, the Prime Minister was received by Admiral RK Dhowan and accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour. Thereafter, Shri Modi embarked the aircraft carrier at sea by helicopter.

During the day, the Prime Minister witnessed ‘Air Power Demonstration’ by various naval aircraft including MiG 29K, Sea Harriers, P 8 I Long Range Maritime Patrol Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft, TU 142M, IL 38 SD, Dorniers, Kamov and Sea King helicopters. He also witnessed high speed manoeuvres by Western Fleet ships including the other aircraft carrier INS Viraat, Delhi class destroyers Mysore and Mumbai, stealth frigates Tarkash, Talwar and Teg, guided missile frigates Betwa and Godavari and fleet tanker Deepak amongst others.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Cockpit of MiG-29K

Shri Modi also interacted with officers and sailors onboard and congratulated them on their hard work and dedication in fully operationalising the INS Vikramaditya in such a short period.  In his address to the personnel of the fleet, the Prime Minister stated that INS Vikramaditya will significantly enhance the ‘Blue Water’ capability of the Indian Navy.

The Western Fleet, also known as the Sword Arm of the Indian Navy consists of many frontline warships including the Aircraft Carriers, INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat.  Commissioned on 16 Nov 2013 at Severodovinsk, Russia, the 44,500 tons displacement INS Vikramaditya marks the coming of age for the navy and its commitment to safeguard the maritime interests of the country.

A MiG-29 K approaching for landing on INS Vikramaditya

With an overall length of 284 meters and a width of 60 meters measuring over three football fields, this floating airfield is equipped to carry a maximum of 34 aircraft such as MIG 29 K fighters and Kamov 31 helicopters.  The ship is now fully operational with Indian pilots taking off and landing the MIG 29K naval combat aircraft.  Manned by a highly professional and competent crew of 110 officers and 1500 sailors, the ship can propel at speeds over 30 knots on the strength of her eight boilers producing a combined thrust of 1,80,000 Shaft Horse power.

MiG-29K landing on the aircraft carrier

Prime Minister Modi taking salute

For the first time, the Naval communication satellite, Rukmini, was used to telecast live the events on board INS Vikramaditya. It was significant that the live telecast took place from a moving platform." 

(Also read Realisation of a dream... A two aircraft carrier Navy )

Photo Credit: Ministry of Defence

Indian Pilot successfully lands MiG-29K on INS Vikramaditya

 File Photo

INS Vikramaditya, better known as Admiral Gorshkov - the Russian built Aircraft Carrier - has inched a step closer towards integration with the Indian Navy. The Russian state-owned agency ITAR TASS reported on Saturday that a MiG-29 KUB fighter jet piloted by an Indian Navy pilot made a maiden landing on the deck of INS Vikramaditya.

Quoting Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation, ITAR TASS said that the second pilot in the two-seater-sea-based MiG-29K was a Russian.

The 45,000 ton INS Vikramaditya has been docking in Indian Naval base Karwar since beginning January.

For more details on the issue read INS Vikramaditya to be delivered at the end of 2013 and Realisation of a dream…. Two aircraft carrier navy

India’s Gorshkov dream delayed by a year

New Delhi, October 10: The delivery date of floating deck cruiser Admiral Gorshkov slipped by a year, Russia made it official on Wednesday, even as India remained non-committal on imposing a financial penalty on the Russian shipyard as it failed to honour the contract that had finalized December 4, 2012 as the delivery date.

 

 

Even as the biggest irritant in the Indo-Russian defence trade – often termed as the “White Elephant” indicating the steep cost escalation of the warships - was far from being removed, both countries firmed up contracts for another 42 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets and 59 helicopters.

According to sources, India conveyed its “serious concerns” about the delay of Gorhskov to be rechristened as INS Vikramaditya to visiting Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov during the 12th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation Russia. However, Moscow washed its hands off the delay caused in the project saying it cannot be held responsible for the trial malfunction.

Addressing a joint press conference, Russian Defence Minister Serdyukov said: “The ship encountered big malfunction with the main power plant and the boiler. Right now the ship is relocated to the factory.” The Russian technicians are examining the cause of the malfunction and the 44,570 tonnes Kiev class aircraft carrier at Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk will only begin its trial in April 2013.

The Gorshkov programme had suffered a setback when after 90 days of sailing in the Barent Sea; seven of the eight boilers of the warship did not function at its maximum power limit. Sources indicate that the Russian shipyard might escalate the cost for the refurbishment of the warship as the Russians are claiming that it was the Indian Navy that insisted on bricks insulation for the boilers rather than the traditional asbestos coating and would therefore claim more in the name of dry dock maintenance.

“We have handed over the revised time overhaul and transfer schedule to the Indian side and we believe that transfer of the ship will take place in the 4th quarter of the 2013,” Serdykov added.

While Indian Defence Minister AK Antony insisted that the early delivery of the aircraft carrier was the primary concern of New Delhi, on the issue of imposing penalty on Sevmash shipyard for another delay in the project that has been marred by delays and price escalation saying: “This is not the time to discuss it.” The contract provides for levying a penalty ranging from .5 to 5 percent of the cost of the warship depending on the delay in the delivery.

The acquisition of Admiral Gorshkov has been full of the price escalation saga. Offered as a gift to the Indian Navy in the beginning, the Russians had used the warship to arm-twist the Indian government to cough up more money that was used to bail out the cash-strapped Sevmash shipyard. The soviet-vintage aircraft carrier was built under 1143.4 class aircraft carrier project and these carriers have a history of boiler failures during their service lives. The warship was launched into the sea in 1982 and commissioned into the Soviet navy in 1987. Gorshkov had to be docked in 1994 after a boiler room explosion in 1994. It returned to services in 1995 for a brief time and was finally put up for sale in 1996.

India and Russia signed the contract in 2004 for a package deal of $1.5 billion that included $974 million for its refit and the rest for the 16 MiG-29 K fighter jets. The initial delivery date was in 2008.

However project hit the headlines in 2007 when Russia said that it will not be able to meet its initial deadline of 2008 and pushed it back to 2010 and demanded upped the price to $2.9 billion. After years of strenuous price re-negotiations the deal was re-inked at $2.33 billion in 2010 and December 2012 was fixed as the delivery time.

Snags during trials push back Gorshkov delivery date

The delivery of Admiral Gorshkov, the Russian aircraft carrier the contract for which was signed after strenuous price negotiations between New Delhi and Moscow, has been delayed further as seven of its eight boilers stopped functioning during trials in the Barents Sea.

 

Admiral Gorshkov steaming during trials

 

After a delay of nearly four years, the Indian Navy was upbeat that the floating deck carrier, rechristened as INS Vikramaditya (meaning Brave as the Sun) was scheduled to be handed over by the Sevmash Dockyard in Russia on December 4. However, this snag has pushed back the delivery date by several months.

According to the Russian media, Gorshkov had embarked on sea trials on July 8 this year when the warship took to sea after 18 long years. The programme designed for 124 days with priority to conduct flight trials and power plant of the carrier. The ship has been sailing for nearly 90 days now with about 500 Indian sailors onboard led by Captain S Berry.

The Russian “Kommersant” while quoting officials said: “Once the cruiser (the aircraft carrier) set sail from the Sevmash, no visible problems arose. But the test program called for the development of the maximum speed. (It) Was the beginning of the problem." The warship has not been able to clock its maximum speed as seven of its eight power plant boilers “went out of action”. Boilers are the heart of a ship.

The Indian Navy has, however, not received any communication from the Russian authorities. “We have not received any official information about it. But according to initial reports we expect few months delay,” Indian Navy officials said here in Delhi. The officials say that considering refurbishment of Gorhskov was a huge project certain glitches were envisaged.

“We were expecting few glitches during the trials considering it is a huge project. However, the contract signed with the Russians cater for this and provides for 3-4 months of delay,” Indian officials added. According to deadline, the Gorshkov was to be handed over to the Indian Navy on December 4 and thereafter it would have reached Indian shores in another 2-3 months.

“The contract caters for the delay. But if the delivery is pushed beyond this limit, we can also impose penalty,” the Indian officials added. The Indian Navy remains optimistic and expects the delivery by October 2013. “The ship is still sailing and aircraft are operating from it. It is not that the ship is stricken or drifting,” the Indian Navy officials added.

 

Admiral Gorshkov project hit the headlines in 2007 when Russia said that it will not be able to meet its initial deadline of 2008 and pushed it back to 2010. Later it increased the price of the refurbishment of the warship from $1.5 billion to $ 2.5 billion.

India plans construction of largest warship

Taking a cue from its first indigenous aircraft carrier programme, India is now envisaging construction of the largest warship in the country – a 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier named INS Vishal (literally meaning Huge) with the latest fighter jets and helicopters onboard.

The fighter jet is scheduled to enter the Indian Navy’s flotilla by 2025 and is presently in design phase.

“Taking a lesson from the delays faced in the construction of the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant, we (the Department of Naval Design) have already began working on the design of the next one with an added tonnage of 25,000 tonnes,” sources said. Where this sea leviathan will be constructed is yet to be finalized.

Initially, the second aircraft carrier was also planned to have 44,000 tonnage, but the Indian Navy put up a requirement for a flat top carrier with an extra 25,000 tonne displacement to make it a more potent platform.

Russian Sukhoi Su-33 and MiG-35; and indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (Navy) fighter jets are likely to operate from the aircraft carrier. “The aircraft carrier is likely to have Catapult to launch fighter jets mainly used in the US platform. So far the Indian Navy has operated ski-jump assisted launch of fighters,” the sources add.

The floating flying deck would also be capable to operate airborne early warning systems and mid air refueller aircraft. 

Sources indicated that the ambitious project would cost around $ 2 billion, which is less than that of Russian Admiral Gorshkov which is presently undergoing sea trials and will join the Indian Navy as INS Vikrmaditya by year end. India is paying $2.34 billion to the Russian for refurbishing Gorshkov.

“INS Vishal is envisaged to join Indian Navy sometime in 2025 when INS Virat will no more be in the service and INS Vikramditya and INS Vikrant would be guarding the eastern and western coastlines,” added the sources.

The first indigenous carrier is being built at a cost of $ 750 million in Cochin shipyard Limited. The aircraft carrier is already being delayed by more than 2 years and is now expected to be inducted in Navy not before by 2017.

Flight trials on Gorshkov to begin on July 15

Indian and Russian teams on board Admiral Gorshkov, to be inducted in the Indian Navy as INS Vikramaditya meaning "Brave as the Sun"

Vikramaditya preparing to leave harbour for sea trials in White Sea (off Russian coast)

Vikramaditya at anchor in White Sea (off Russia)

Vikramaditya initial steaming during sea trials

The flight trials on board INS Vikramaditya will begin on July 15 as Russian MiG-29Ks will land and take off from the flat top carrier as part of the pre-delivery trials. Both Indian and Russian crew have got on-board the leviathan but the trials will be carried by the Russians only. The sea trials have been on since June 9.

During the flight trials the navigation, landing through arrestor wires and ski-jump take-offs.  The Indian crew will conduct the delivery acceptance trials once they take over the warship.

Indian crew gets onboard Admiral Gorshkov

The home-coming of Russian-built aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov has got a major boost as the complete Indian crew has got on board the floating-deck carrier.

According to sources the Indian crew will be part of the flight trials on board Admiral Gorshkov, rechristened as INS Vikramaditya, will begin soon.

 CNS Admiral Nirmal Verma after extensive tour of Vikramaditya in July last year

 

“The complete crew of Gorshkov – over a thousand people – has got on board the warship. The flight trials will begin soon and Russian fighter jets will undertake these trials,” sources added. The MiG-29 Ks fighter jets that will operate from this warship once it touches Indian shores on December 4 are presently conducting shore-based flying from Goa. The pilots have been undertaking training in the US to take off and land on an aircraft carrier.

“The crew of Gorshkov comprises of both experience sailors and fresher. Many of the crew-members have already served on board the Indian Navy’s lone aircraft carrier INS Viraat,” sources added. While the delivery date of the warship is fixed certain trials of the aircraft carrier will be done post its induction in the force.

The platform will be handed over to the Indian Navy finally sometime in November this year thereafter it will begin its voyage to Indian shores.