India, $ 15 billion contract for new aircraft carrier: thy go up, according the American one, in a few hours the decision

(Franco Iacch)
02/03/16

http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/india-appalto-15-miliardi-di-dollari-la-nuova-portaerei-salgono-le-quotazioni-russe

In a few hours India will give a millionaire contract for the construction of a new aircraft carrier. The investment (from 12 to 15 billion dollars) has attracted all the leading global manufacturers who have made competing for the Indian sympathies.

In the last hours they would go up, to the detriment of French and Americans, the odds of the Russian project Shtorm the Krylov State Research Center and Nevskoye Planning and Design Bureau.

The Project 23000E Shtorm, vector hundred thousand tons nuclear-powered, it was revealed to the public in June 2012. 330 meters long and 40 wide with a draft of 11 meters, the Shtorm is designed to reach a top speed of 30 knots (over 55 km / h).

According to Krylov State Research Center and Nevskoye Planning and Design Bureau, the carrier can transport supplies to the crew of 5000 sailors, for a maximum of 120 days. The class Shtorm, finally, can carry up to 100 aircraft. The carrier will be equipped with both a ski-jump that electromagnetic catapults. According to Russian media, the Russian offer is considered more advantageous because Moscow would be willing to share fully the technology gained in the sector, compared to partial advanced by French and Americans.

It should be noted that the Indian Navy is the main external operator of the MiG-29K Fulcrum also called Sea (photo). The Indians are already building two aircraft carriers equipped with electromagnetic catapults. The Vikrant, variant "stobar" from 40 thousand tons, will enter service in 2017. The Vishal, catobar variant (catapult assisted takeoff but arrested recovery) by 65,000 tons, will enter service in 2022.

The Russians, therefore, would have burned right in the final rush Americans. The latter were themselves ready to share (partially) with India the secrets of the aircraft carrier. In fact, Washington and New Delhi have worked on the joint development of an aircraft carrier for the one that was defined by the Chief of Naval Operations of the United States, John Richardson, "a solid and future collaboration".

To snap up Indian sympathies, the Pentagon is aware of the substantial funds available to the Indians, had put on the table of negotiations the EMAILS technology or Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, until recently, jealously guarded by the US.

Since 2000, India is looking for a new carrier. The options were limited. At the time, the only available building sites (the USA, France and Italy) were deemed too expensive for India, which is why, in 2004, fell back on the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, built in Soviet times. For updating, based on the agreements with Moscow, India would pay 974 million dollars. A year before delivery (2007), the Indians realized that they would not receive the aircraft carrier on time and that they should shell out another $ 2.9 billion to complete the upgrade of the carrier-class Kirov. The only sea trials cost him $ 550 million. Christened "Vikramaditya" (opening photo), it has entered into service in January 2014.

If the Russians were to seal the deal, the US also would lose the possibility of providing embarked component. The Pentagon, in fact, hoped to sell between 60 and 100 F-35 to India. Now it's all up for discussion.

(Photo: Indian Navy)

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IZAKOVIC