10.03.2009
Over the month, leader of the Sevmash yard in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast, has been twice in India to negotiate new contract terms for sales of the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.
Sevmash General Director Nikolay Kalistratov today again meets with Indian defence authorities for negotiations over the takeover terms of the
Admiral Gorshkov, by the Indians called
Vikramaditia, the Sevmash informs in a press release.
The visit is the second in a month. In mid-February Kalistratov and his delegation confirmed that the Indian side would in the near future transfer 250 million USD, which will help keep up progress with the reconstruction and modernization of the vessel.
At the same time, he also said that the Russian side had named its price for the project, which now was being considered by the Indians.
According to the original contract from 2004, the Indian Navy was to buy the upgraded vessel for 974 million USD. In addition, the contract included the acquisition of fighter aircrafts worth 530 million USD. Last year however the Russian side demanded that the contract terms be reviewed and that the new price would be up to 1,5 million USD higher.
The
Vikramaditia is built to house a group of MIG-29K fighter planes and helicopters typed Ka-27 and Ka-31, Bclass.ru reports. The vessel was included in the Russian Navy in 1987. It was then named the
Baku.
