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Mainstream, VOL L, No 49, November 24, 2012

Irrefutable Facts

Saturday 1 December 2012

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by T.R. KRISHNAN

Much has been written lately on the delay in completing the process of renovating and modernising the Russian aircraft carrier, Gorshkov, and the cost escalation this delay entails. However, certain basic facts have either been glossed over (unwittingly or otherwise) or have not been taken into consideration due to lack of adequate information.

This aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy has been equipped with modern high-tech systems alongside elimination of all faults in them. In view of the relatively low purchasing cost of a vessel of this class, the project would evidently be beneficial to New Delhi even after taking into account the protracted tenure of its recommission.

The delay in realisation of the project has been caused partly due to the negligence of foreign and Indian equipment suppliers. For instance, the defect in the desalting plant, which was manufactured by an Indian company, Rochem Separation Sistem, was exposed at a late stage. The flaw can now be eliminated only at the base.
The elimination of all such defects, revealed in the course of testing of the aircraft carrier, will take additional time; hence the delay. However, the removal of these flaws is expected to ensure enhanced safety and better performance of the vessel’s systems on the whole.

IT is well known that Indo-Russian military and technical cooperation is strategically important for New Delhi on account of a variety of reasons that interested quarters do not wish to spell out. This cooperation helps the Indian armed forces with necessary equipment samples, strengthens the troops’ high combat capability, facilitates the country to gain access to advanced military technologies. Russia hands over licences for arms production. In contrast the US has significant limits on such trade with India; and these restrictions are not to be lifted in the foreseeable future.

Repair and modernisation of Gorshkov should be considered as a one-time, unique and technically complicated project in the framework of the Indo-Russian military and technical cooperation. The problems related to its realisation before it is handed over to the Indian side cannot and must not influence other joint projects in this area.

It needs to be further underlined that Russian manufacturers alone do not face difficulties in realising technically complex defence projects. Significant delays have been observed in construction of the national Project 71 aircraft carrier and in the transfer of Scorpene submarines to India by France. In 2008, Great Britain launched the construction of the new aircraft carrier, Queen Elizabeth, which was scheduled to be operationalised by 2016. Initially the estimated cost of the vessel was £ 4 billion. Now the sum has increased to £ 8 billion and the time of delivery of the aircraft carrier is still uncertain.

These facts provide sufficient proof that the problems relating to execution of the Gorshkov project are not in any way unusual or uncommon in the overall context.

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