India approves purchase of Russian aircraft carrier

19 Jan, 2004

India has approved the purchase of a refurbished Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov, and a deal worth more than $1 billion is likely to be signed this week, defence ministry officials said on Sunday.
The acquisition of the Gorshkov, along with MiG-29 combat jets to go with the carrier, is expected to greatly enhance the strike power of the country's blue-water navy.
The Gorshkov, which would take more than four years to refit, is a temporary replacement for an existing carrier that is due for decommissioning.
The purchase, which went through tough price negotiations, was cleared by the cabinet's security committee late on Saturday, Indian defence officials told Reuters.
"We understand that all orders have been cleared and an agreement will be signed in all likelihood during the visit of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov," a defence ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
Ivanov arrives in New Delhi on Monday for a three-day visit.
"The Cabinet Committee on Security has authorised the defence minister to finalise the deal with his Russian counterpart," an Indian defence ministry spokesman told Reuters.
He did not give details. The Gorshkov will be India's third major arms purchase in five months.
New Delhi in September approved a proposal to buy Hawk trainer jets from Britain's BAE Systems Plc for $1.7 billion. It was followed by a deal a month later to buy Phalcon strategic airborne radar systems from Israel for an estimated $1 billion.
India is the only country in the region to have an aircraft carrier. Its main rivals, Pakistan and China, both of whom have fought wars with New Delhi in the past, are yet to get their own.

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