As per the terms of this accord, the apparently defunct air force carrier would not only be sold to India but would also be re- equipped with modern arsenal and artillery to suit the Indian naval requirements. The accord also included sale of Russian fighter planes MIG 29Ks and MIG 29 KUBs along with appropriate training provided to the fighter pilots. The terms of this accord also stated renovation of the navy ship and equipping it with modern amenities and other naval aid. The totality of this concord came to about US$ 1.5 billion, which was further revised and modified as per Russian terms to over US$ two billion in the past two years. Post its re- equipping, INS Vikramaditya will have a capacitance to carry both fighter planes and helicopters. The latter will include Ka-31 Helix copters and HAL Dhruv copters, in totality between four to 12 copters; while the former includes Sea Harrier fighter planes along with the MIG 29Ks and 29 KUBs, totality between 12 to 16 fighter crafts. In terms of specifications, the Vikramaditya can be detailed as follows: The naval ship has a displacement of 45,000 tonnes The vessel measures 900 feet lengthwise, 174 feet width wise and 107 feet beam wise Offers a maximum speed of 32 knots Can accommodate a crew of 1600 The INS Vikramaditya is the carrier vessel that will take the place of Indian Naval Force’s current air force carrier – INS Viraat. The Indian Navy also has strategic plans to launch another such carrier craft which would ensure that the stronghold of its naval force is maintained for a very long and substantial time. Also, India’s INS Vikrant holds the distinction of being the first Indian carrier craft to be built in the country’s naval dockyards.
Posted on: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 10:57:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015