INS Vikramaditya may take more time to come to India

Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin taking an active interest in ensuring that the aircraft carrier Gorshkov is ready by the end of the year, top level Indian sources fear a further six-month delay.

Flight trials — landing of fighter aircraft on the ship’s deck — started late and will have to be suspended later this month due to the onset of near-Arctic conditions in the Russian north. The trials are then expected to resume when the weather relents, most likely in March next year.

But Russian sources said there was a “slight difference in formulation.” The flag-raising ceremony on the gigantic ship will be held on the designated date in December and an Indian crew will start taking over operations.

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