Some Indian Gorshkov details..

Some Indian Gorshkov details and other carrier developments courtesy of Military Technology magazine Vol. 28 Issue 3:

*The name of the refitted carrier will be INS Vikramaditya named after a famous Indian king of the 11th century.

*The cost is in 2 parts, $650 million for the ship’s refit/reconstruction and $815 million for the airborne component ($700 million for the 16 Mig-29Ks, and $115 for the helicopters which will be 6 in total, a mix of Ka-28 and Ka-31).

*Final displacement will increase by 3,500t, to about 45,000t fl, and the length will increase by 7m to 273m overall. The model released in 2003 by the Nevskoye Design Bureau (NDB) resembles in shape the last and never completed Russian carrier ULYANOVSK. A distinctive gallery on the starboard side of the Island will provide space for parking two more aircraft as well as balancing the enlarged main flight deck. In addition it will allow for aircraft to be moved from bow to stern without interfering with flight ops.

*Primary air defence for INS Vikramaditya will be two Kashtan-M hybrid gun/missile systems, which will require only limited below deck space.
India insisted on making room for VLS SAMs, but this proved extremely difficult as the designers had not made plans for the installation of a vertical launch SAM system.

*All the Mig-29Ks will have refuelling probes. A variant of the Mig with UPAZ pods and a conformal dorsal tank will be used for buddy air-to-air refuelling. (Dorsal tank? Interesting….)

*Service entry for INS Vikramaditya is expected by 2008-9, and the first ADS is now not due until 2012-3. If the first ADS is delayed further, there could end being quite a gap in the Indian carrier fleet if the Viraat is retired by 2010 as planned.

*Two prototypes of the navalised LCA Tejas have already been ordered and are scheduled to fly in 2007. Questions remain as to what fighter the Indians will equip the future ADS with. Even a carrier-borne variant of the 5th generation Russian PAK-FA has been mentioned as a possibility.

-ends-

Any further news or details anyone?