India to receive Russia-made aircraft carrier in 2012
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The Indian Navy will get the procured Russia-made aircraft carrier AC Admiral Gorshkov by December 2012, said an Indian navy spokesperson on Tuesday.
The AC is being extensively refitted in Russia, and the modifications are "going well", everything seems on the track, Indian Navy spokesperson Satish said to the media.
The ship's structural refurbishment is near completion, engines and other important large equipment have been fixed, and nearly half of the cable project is over, said the spokesperson.
Satish said the ship would carry out the sea trial in 2011, evaluating its operational performances. If everything is smooth, the ship would be handed over to the Indian Navy by December 2012.
On July 2, 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the AC Admiral Gorshkov should be finished as soon as possible, so it could be delivered to India in 2012.
In January 2004, India and Russia signed an agreement to buy the AC Admiral Gorshkov. According to the deal, the Russian side would be responsible for the modern upgrade and refit of the ship.
Following entering the service, AC Admiral Gorshkov will replace the aging AC INS Viraat with the full load of 28,000 tons. It is India's only currently servicing AC, which was bought in 1987.
Admiral Gorshkov with full load of 45,000 tons could carry about 30 aircraft, including 16 modern Mig-29K fighters. The AC is capable of carrying out the tasks of anti-aircraft, surface ship and submarine within the range of 1,000 kilometers.
