Favourable wave for the aircraft carrier

Announcing this at a press conference in the city today, Vice-Admiral Madhvendra Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command said that clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs CCPA was the last hurdle.

8220;We hope to obtain all the approvals by next year and start building by the year 2000,8221; Vice Admiral Singh said.

The contract will be tendered out to all the shipyards in the country, though the project may be handed over to the Cochin Shipyard Limited.

Meanwhile, the Navy8217;s sole aircraft carrier INS Viraat is to sail outon Wednesday night on a goodwill visit to Abu Dhabi. A historic visit, considering that it has been 23 years since an Indian aircraft carrier sailed out to another country. INS Vikrant8217;s goodwill mission to the Gulf in 1976 was the first and last.

The considerations in not sending a carrier have been primarily those of cost and the availability of foreign exchange. 8220;Three or four ships can be sent with the money it costs to send an aircraft carrier,8221; Vice Admiral Singh said, adding that the crew of nearly 1500 had to be paid in foreign exchange during the visit.

INS Viraat will be accompanied by other ships of the western fleet, the missile destroyer INS Ranvijay, the fleet tanker INS Shakti and the corvette INS Kora. The indigenously built Project 25-A class INS Kora is to be the highlight at the IDEX-99 international defence exhibition to be held at Abu Dhabi between March 14 and 18. The fleet will be commanded by Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet Rear Admiral Suresh Mehta.

Viraat will embarkits air group of 21 aircraft including 10 Sea Harrier jets. An air demonstration by the carrier group will also be conducted to demonstrate the flying skills of the naval air arm for the gulf nations.

The Gulf visit could well be Viraat8217;s swan-song, at least in this century. The ageing carrier will enter the Cochin Shipyard sometime this year for an intensive refit and upgradation programme that will extend its life by another 10 years. The ship will emerge from the refit in 2001 with a fresh fit of communication equipment and sensors.

8220;This Viraat8217;s refit is a challenge we have been preparing for the last four years,8221; said the C-in-C. The refit, which was due to begin last year, was postponed by a year, pending the arrival of all the equipment.

Admitting that the two-year absence of the carrier imposed a grave operational liability8217; Vice Admiral Singh said that training of pilots would continue from the naval air base at Goa. The only missing element would be the actual on deck carrierlanding.

Asked if the acquisition of Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov was an option that would be exercised, Vice Admiral Singh said government to government discussions are on, but I have no idea if it will be purchased or not.8217;

However, he observed that if the Gorshkov was acquired by the navy, the ship would have to be bought with its complement of aircraft. The ageing Sea Harriers aboard Viraat would not be suitable for Gorshkov after it was modified to Indian navy8217;s requirements within two to three years of its acquisition, he said.