Navy personnel begin training on Admiral Gorshkov

NEW DELHI (PTI): With the Navy set to induct aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov by next year, the first batch of Navy personnel have begun training on the refurbished vessel in St. Petersburg, Russia.

"The first group of 152 sailors and officers have started their training on-board INS Vikramaditya in Russia.

The training comprises four months of theory and almost a similar period of practical exercises on the ship," naval spokesperson told PTI here Thursday.

INS Vikramaditya to start sea trials in the falls

Indian carrier INS Vikramaditya (former Russian aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Gorshkov) which is being modernized at defense shipyardSevmash will conduct her first sortie in the falls of 2011, reported ITAR-TASS referring to Anastasia Nikitinskaya, the head of Sevmash's press service, having specified that "approximately, in October or November". 

The carrier undergoes mooring trials since March 1. According to Sevmash's press service, test of main propulsion plant will be the most complicated and critical. Another high-end task is testing of radioelectronic systems including those made in India, and air-technical facilities. End objective of mooring trials is preparation of shipborne systems for coming sea trials. 

Mooring trails for Indian carrier

After near a decade long rebuilding, the mooring trails of aircraft-carrier Admiral Gorshkov starts in Severodvinsk.

The large former Soviet aircraft carrier has been a headache for the naval yard in Severodvinsk all time since Russia in 2004 signed the agreement to sell and rebuild the vessel to the Indian navy.

Read also: Indian officer in Severodvinsk honey-trap

Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk and the Indian navy have both disagreed on costs and time-schedule for the aircraft carrier that sailed for the Soviet / Russian navy from 1987 to 1994.

It is believed that India will pay Russia some $2.2 billion for Admiral Gorshkov.

INS Vikramaditya started mooring trials

Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya which is retrofitted for Indian Navy started mooring trials on March 1. Sevmash shipyard's director general Nikolai Kalistratov signed an order to begin the trials. 

This is an essential milestone in the carrier's modernization particularly marked in the general schedule. Outfitting works have reached the final stage. The ship has been gradually filled with equipment, mechanisms, pipelines, cables; and now all those systems must be tested in different modes. 

The trials will be conducted in accordance with special programs and techniques. Tests of main propulsion plant are considered the most complicated and important. The second large-scale goal is testing of radioelectronics, including Indian-made systems, and air-technical facilities. The main purpose of mooring trials is preparation of shipborne systems for further important stage – shipyard's sea trials. The aircraft carrier is planned to take the sea late in 2011.