Dock trials of the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, the Soviet-built Admiral Gorshkov, which is being refitted for the Indian Navy, began on March 1.
They will take place in the Severodvinsk naval yard, where the much-
delayed reconstruction of the ship, decommissioned from the Russian fleet in 1996, is ongoing. The focus of the trials will be the main power generation units and the radio-electronic armament systems, manufactured in India. The upgrade work, undertaken by the Sevmash shipyard, has been blighted by delays and scandal, including the dismissal of Commander Singh, India's chief representative overseeing the purchase.
Final delivery to India is scheduled for 2012, four years later than originally planned.
(MT)
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