NEW DELHI: The much-awaited Russian-built aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov will be commissioned in the Indian Navy on December 4 this year, and certain trials that needed to be done will now be completed post its induction in the force. Gorshkov, renamed in the Indian Navy as INS Vikramaditya, has been facing constant cost escalation and delays in refurbishment. “The ship will be commissioned on December 4, when the Indian crew will take over the warship in Russia,” Indian Navy’s Chief of Material Vice Admiral Ganesh Madhavan said on Friday. With the commissioning of the floating deck carrier, that will have MiG-29 K fighter jets operating from its deck, the Indian Navy will become a two aircraft carrier Navy.
Madhavan who also headed the price re-negotiation Committee for Gorshkov, said that the revised contract for the leviathan envisages its life-span to be 40 years as against 20 years in the first contract. “Ninety percent of the outer hull of Gorshkov is new. Hundred percent of its cabling and pipeline is new. Thus giving it the extended life,” Madhavan said. The cost escalation by the Russians had left the Indian Navy in the fix, as its British-built INS Viraat has already completed its life span and the force was looking for a time to decommission the old battle ship.