In March 2011, the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk launched the mooting trials of the Vikramaditya multirole aircraft carrier being developed through overhauling and upgrading the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft-carrying cruiser previously in service with the Russian Navy. “The most difficult and important tests will be those of the propulsion plant. The second priority is to test the radio-electronic systems, including Indian-made systems, and the carrier’s aviation component as well. The final objective of the mooring tests is to prepare the systems and equipment to the nest phase, the factory sea trials, during which the aircraft carrier will put to sea. This phase is slated for late 2011”, said a Sevmash spokesperson.

The deal on the delivery of the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to the Indian Navy was clinched in January 2004. It was accompanied by a deal on development and delivery of 16 MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters to make up the carrier air group (CAG). The 29 options for such fighters were firmed up last spring. The first batch of six production-standard MiG-29K/KUBs were headed for India in December 2009 and entered service with the Indian Navy in February last year. The next five aircraft were delivered in May 2011. To date, the first batch of 16 MiG-29K/KUBs has been almost complete, but the customer has requested the delivery of the remaining aircraft of the batch to be put on the back burner until some time closer to the delivery date of the Vikramaditya, from which they are being bought to operate.

Under the additional agreement signed last spring, the upgraded Vikramaditya is to be delivered in late 2012, and then Indian naval pilots will be able to start operating their MiG-29K/KUB fighters off the carrier.
The Russian Defence Ministry also is looking into acquisition of a MiG-29K/KUB batch for operation off the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia’s only aircraft carrier so far. Considering that the production of the Admiral Kuznetsov’s Su-33 fighters had been discontinued a rather long time ago, the advanced MiG fighters may well complement the CAG of the Russian carrier, as they carry a more sophisticated avionics suite and a formidable array of guided weapons of all classes.