Gorshkov project sole irritant in Indo-Russian ties: Medvedev

[SwordFish_13]

Hi,

Medvedev furious over India-destined warship delays

MOSCOW (AFP) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday angrily rebuked a shipyard chief for delays to repairs of a Soviet-era aircraft carrier set for delivery to India, urging work to be completed quickly.

Television pictures showed Medvedev adopting a tough style reminiscent of his predecessor and mentor Vladimir Putin as he rebuked the head of the Sevmash shipyard on the White Sea in Russia's northern port of Severodvinsk.

"We must finish it and sell it. Anything else would set a very poor precedent," Medvedev told the director of Sevmash, Nikolai Kalistratov.

"We should consider this as a first and very trying experience," Medvedev said in comments broadcast on state television.

Last year, India and Russia ended a protracted dispute over the cost to modernize the 44,570-tonne aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov, which will be sold to the Indian navy for an undisclosed price in 2011.

In front of television cameras, Medvedev scolded Kalistratov for agreeing commitments that the shipyard had been unable to fulfill.

"It was a mistake," said Kalistratov, sighing loudly. "There is still a lot of work to do. It's a difficult business."

"Of course it was a mistake!" replied Medvedev, laughing sarcastically.

"Why did you sign? As a result everyone has to make excuses -- you in front of me, and me in front of my Indian colleagues," said Medvedev.

Putin has made televised admonishment of wayward officials one of his trademarks and last month publicly rebuked Russia's former richest man Oleg Deripaska in an extraordinary scene that saw him throw a pen at the oligarch.

Until now, Medvedev has usually been more restrained in his television appearances.

Russian amrs export firm Rosoboronexport in 2004 signed a deal to refurbish the 30-year-old carrier for 970 million dollars, but last year demanded India pay an additional 1.2 billion dollars.

Since resolving the pricing dispute, India sent about 100 trained personnel to join the some 1,200 Russian engineers at the Sevmash shipyard working on the massive vessel, according to Indian officials.

Medvedev later told a meeting of naval chiefs that the project had to be finished on time in line with the basic timetable agreed by the two sides, RIA-Novosti news agency reported.

Russia accounted for 70 percent of Indian arms supplies in 2008, but late deliveries and commercial disagreements have led New Delhi to turn to suppliers such as Israel, Britain, France and the United States.

Russia is due to supply India this year with a nuclear submarine, the Nerpa, in which 20 people died after a toxic gas accident during a trial in 2008.

Peace
-=SF_13=-

 

[Lunatik]

Russia not following up on the business deals and promises they make is nothing new. All of the world's arms procurement officials know the Russians aren't exactly the most dependable supplier, but sometimes factors like cheaper price, cost-effectiveness and political ties/circumstances force countries to sign weapons deals with Russia.

I wish Rock was still among us to tell you in detail about the countless aviation deals that turned nasty.

And that submerging coffin of a nuclear sub, Nerpa, will be haunted the rest of her life and the crew (bless their hearts) will always have to keep an eye over their shoulders for things like another toxic gas leak that had killed tens of sailors in Russian hands.

 

[c/Commander]

And that submerging coffin of a nuclear sub, Nerpa, will be haunted the rest of her life and the crew (bless their hearts) will always have to keep an eye over their shoulders for things like another toxic gas leak that had killed tens of sailors in Russian hands.

We all do that anyway. My ships this past summer had more TG drills than fire drills. Detectors are mounted everywhere...

And they're getting an Akula-II out of the deal. Nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Zastava-Arms]

So is Russia still India's main arms supplier?

India's Su-30MKI are awsome, and I also heard they plan to buy around 150 T-90 tanks from Russia aswell.