Indian Navy gets INS Vikramaditya as it seeks to bolster military

The warship with a length of 284 metres will have MiG-29K naval combat aircraft along with Kamov 31 and Kamov 28 anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance helicopters.



The MiG 29-Ks would provide a significant boost to Indian Navy with their range of over 700 nautical miles, extendable to over 1,900 nautical miles with mid-air refuelling, and an array of weapons like anti-ship missiles, beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and guided bombs and rockets.

After almost nine years of negotiations the initial $1.5 billion contract for retrofitting the carrier and buying 16 MiG-29K, K/UB deck-based fighters was signed in 2004.

The aircraft carrier deal had become a major irritant in bilateral relations between India and Russia.

By the end of 2007, when it became clear that Russia will not deliver the radically redesigned vessel by the 2008 deadline, ties dipped to an all-time low.

However, the two countries inked an additional agreement under which India agreed to pay a higher price for its refit.