Finally the government admits that all is not hunky dory in acquiring the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and it will certainly not join the service by the end of 2008, as per the original schedule.

Defence Minister A K Antony informed the Lok Sabha that “the overall progress of repair and re-equipping of the ship, Admiral Gorshkov, in Russia is slow.”

“The Russian side has submitted a revised master schedule indicating a delay in the project,” he said days after attending a bilateral defence meeting in Moscow, which was intended to iron out the differences in strategic relationship. Navy officers are of the opinion that Gorshkov may not be able to join the service at least before 2010 and that they have to continue with the aged carrier INS Virat which is already on its last phase. Admitting the delay in procuring the 273 metre long ship – renamed as INS Vikramaditya – for the first time in Parliament, Mr Antony said that the Russians have attributed the delay to ‘growth of work.’

Further, the Russians have demanded an additional $ 350 million and more time to refit the 48,500 tonne aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy, sources said. The original deal, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in January, 2004, was valued at $ 1.6 billion.