It would seem a mini-arms race is on between India and China. Although India already has two aircraft carriers, one is being retired and the other undergoing a five-month refit. Fortunately, there is no known marine based territorial dispute between India and China, Curiously, India has been getting its carriers from Russia’s obsolete fleet and China from Ukraine’s retired fleet!
Times of India: “Russia delayed delivery of a trouble-plagued aircraft carrier for at least a year on Friday, a blow to India’s efforts to quickly build up naval strength as increasingly assertive Asian rival China expands its maritime reach.
Originally built as the Admiral Gorshkov in the Soviet Union, the $2.3 billion aircraft carrier is being reconditioned and was due to be ready this year, but problems with the ship’s boilers have pushed the delivery date back several times.
“We believe the handover of the ship will take place in the fourth quarter of 2013,” Russian defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov said at a joint news conference with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi.
Defence minister AK Antony said he had conveyed “serious concern” at the delays to Serdyukov.
The bilateral meeting precedes a visit by Russian President Putin to New Delhi on November 1.
The ship is to be renamed as Vikramaditya and the success of the order is seen as an important test of defence ties between Russia, the world’s second-largest arms exporter, and its biggest customer.
India, a big buyer of Soviet Union weaponry, still relies on Russia for 60 percent of its arms purchases, but has diversified its suppliers in recent years. Israel is now the No. 2 seller, and countries like the United States and France also increasing their presence.
“I myself expressed serious concern about the delay,” Antony said, adding that the issue had been raised several times. He said he was putting pressure on both sides to finish work on the biolers as soon as possible, but said he had not discussed penalising Russia so far.
India is closely watching the Chinese navy’s newly assertive stance in the South China Sea and in a dispute with Japan over contested islands that have raised tensions in East Asia this year.
India bought its first, British-built aircraft carrier in the 1960s, which was decommissioned in 1997. Another ex-British carrier, the INS Viraat, is in operation but is reaching the end of its useful service.”
via Russia further delays delivery of Admiral Gorshkov to India – The Times of India.
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CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 