BY : UDAYAVANI

After years of negotiations, Admiral Gorshkov, the Russian aircraft carrier, would finally be inducted into the Indian Navy by the end of the next year, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta said on Saturday.

“We are inducting Gorshkov by the later part of the next year,” said Admiral Mehta on the sidelines of a function of the Indian Military Academy (IMA) here.

Gorshkov has a sea endurance of 30 days and a capacity to carry more than 2,000 sailors.

On enhancing maritime surveillance, Admiral Mehta said the Indian Navy is finalising a proposal for the purchase of suitable equipment from abroad.

“We have moved far ahead in our modernization plans,” he said.

Stating that the Indian Navy has presently 136 warships, he said it would be adding 40 more new ships in near future. For this purpose, orders have already been placed for building 33 ships in Indian yards, while six ships are being purchased from abroad.
Besides this, India would also be buying six submarines.

“The order-books of all the Indian yards are full,” he said, adding the budget allocation for the purchase of new ships has already been utilised. He also asked youths to join the armed forces saying there was dedication and commitment in service, besides a lot of adventure.