* They still might get the ship first.


Only few technical, financial issues pending on Gorshkov deal
Moscow, Feb 21 (PTI) India and Russia have launched experts-level talks to thrash out the "few remaining" technical and financial issues pending on the upgrading of aircraft carrier Gorshkov, a senior Russian official said today.
"Hectic efforts are on at all levels to resolve the issue of Gorshkov, which was discussed at the highest political level by President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and now few remaining technical and financial issues are being discussed at experts level," Director of 2nd Asia Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Maryasov said.

Defence Secretary Vijay Singh is presently leading a high-level Indian delegation to Russia to carry out physical verification of additional refit work needed on the aircraft carrier to justify additional costs as claimed by Moscow.

The 45,000 tonne displacement carrier was to have been delivered by August this year as per a USD 1.5 billion contract signed in 2005 but Russia stunned India in November by demanding an additional USD 1.2 billion for refitting and other works.

In a parallel development, RAC MiG Corporation today announced that it will deliver 16 MiG-29K fighters developed for Gorshkov to India by June this year.

According to the initial agreement, 12 Fighters and 4 fighter-trainers were to be deployed on Gorshkov after its induction by the Indian navy as INS Vikramaditya. PTI

link
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite...B?OpenDocument

I didnt know the Indians were getting an aircraft carrier. If they finish the deal will they have an AC before china? The russians seem to be spreading their old ships around.

I didn't think the Chinese buying a carrier was a done deal. There was talk of it and China looked over the Su-33 navy type Flanker that Russia was pushing for funding reasons to make but never bought. I may have missed it correct me if I'm wrong. The India carrier deal been going on for years and soon it will reach four or five years mark I think. And the end isn't in sight yet still time for things to go wrong on the Russians side and as India is known to do change there mind.