GORSHKOV 2 LAST

India plans to have the Gorshkov -- bought in 2004 for
USD 974 million along with 16 MiG-29K fighter jets for USD 526
million and rechristened INS Vikramaditya -- by 2012 before
the Navy's lone aircraft carrier INS Viraat is decommissioned
from service.
It is also building an Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)
at its Cochin Shipyard in southern state of Kerala and the
first in the series of three IACs is likely to be delivered by
2015.
But the Russians pushing for a price hike since 2007
citing escalating cost of refitting the warship at their
Sevmash shipyard and additional cabling work may derail the
Navy's plans.
In its latest report, the Comptroller and Auditor General
of India (CAG) has pulled up the Defence Ministry for the "300
per cent" increase in the cost of the "second hand" aircraft
carrier to USD 3.9 billion whereas a brand new aircraft
carrier was available at about USD 4 billion to USD 5 billion.
However, the Navy's argument in favour of Gorshkov has
been the unwillingness of other countries building aircraft
carriers to sell the platform to India. PTI