BY : TOI

With its patience wearing thin over Russia's evasive behaviour on huge delays in the modernisation refit of decommissioned aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, New Delhi has sought some firm answers from Moscow now.

"So far, there has been an utter lack of clarity on Russia's part. We are now seeking concrete answers on the technical and financial audit of the entire Gorshkov project," said a source.

Defence minister A K Antony, on his part, also did some "tough talking" during his mid-October visit to Moscow about "issues relating to life cycle support" of Russian-origin weapon systems and "the delay in refurbishment" of Admiral Gorshkov, holding that these were "a cause of concern" for India.

The Gorshkov issue, in fact, is even likely to be taken up during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Russia later this month. "We might get some answers then," said the source.

The 44,570-tonne Admiral Gorshkov was initially supposed to join Indian Navy by August 2008 as per the $1.5 billion package deal signed with Russia in January 2004. The deal includes 16 MiG-29K 'Fulcrum' supersonic fighters and a mix of Ka-31 and Ka-28 helicopters to operate from its carrier's deck.

But the assessment now is that India will not be getting the carrier, already rechristened INS Vikramaditya, anytime before 2010. Any delay beyond that will adversely affect India's plan to further bolster its "blue-water" capabilities in Indian Ocean and beyond.

For one, the country's solitary aircraft carrier, the ageing 28,000-tonne INS Viraat, is on its last legs now. For another, construction of the 37,500-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier at Cochin Shipyard has also been delayed to 2015 or so.

India cannot buy an aircraft carrier off-the-shelf and Admiral Gorshkov remains the only available option at present. Even earlier, as first reported by TOI, Antony had written to his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov to seek his personal intervention in the matter.

Antony had expressed the hope that Moscow will honour its contractual obligations regarding Gorshkov, which is berthed at the Sevmash shipyard at Severodvinsk in north Russia. Though Serdyukov has himself reviewed the project, Moscow is yet to provide any answers, sources said.

Russia, on its part, contends it had grossly underestimated the refit cost of the partly-burnt Admiral Gorshkov, which was decommissioned by the Russian Navy a decade ago.

Technical problems, too, continue to dog the carrier's refit programme, which includes removal of the missile launchers on the bow to build a ski-jump at a 14.3 degree angle for the MiG-29Ks.

It is also to be fitted with new-generation air defence and other weapon systems, new engines, eight diesel boilers with generators, electrical machinery, communication systems, distillation plants and the like. The Gorshkov project, apart from cost escalation of Sukhoi-30MKI fighters and tardy support of spares for acquired weapon systems, has emerged as a major irritant in the otherwise strong military relationship between India and Russia.

The total value of several ongoing projects as well as new programmes and purchases in the pipeline with Russia - which include Sukhoi-30MKIs, T-90S main-battle tanks, Talwar-class stealth frigates and the new fifth-generation fighter aircraft - is estimated to be well over $10 billion.

Then, of course, there is the hush-hush Rs 2,600 crore deal to lease from next year the nuclear-powered Akula-II attack submarine for 10 years, for which Indian sailors have already undergone training in Russia.