Admiral Chabaenko is at last in commission. On the other hand, the Russians are scrapping the incomplete second and third units of the Neustrash-immyy class. Chabaenko should be the last new major combatant delivered to the Russian Navy for at least a decade, since their C-in-C Fleet Admiral Kuyoyedov stated last 28 August that no new ships would be ordered for five years and it takes Russia at least five to build any larger vessel. Also, there are no longer any large surface combatants left incomplete, other than the little frigate lying at Zelenoldol'sk, which, at last report, may get delivered to the Border Guard if the money is available. The Indian Navy appears to be trying to have it both ways. Many sources are reporting that the Indian Navy has formally closed the deal with Russia to buy Admiral Gorshkov, rust and all. But they're also building their own carrier. Gorshkov will be refitted with the forward armament removed and the flight deck extended to full length with a 14.3° ski jump and arresting gear. This would allow it to operate either Flankers or Fulcrums, as well as Ka-28 ASW and Ka-31 AEW helicopters. This affair has generated consider-able heat within the Indian Military. Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, Chief of Naval Staff was forced to retire because of his outspoken support for an Indian-built carrier, and most of the Navy favors a locally-built ship as well. Maybe they had a chance to tour Gorshkov, which can only be classed as a "fixer-upper." The Indian Air Force also opposes the new carrier. It's one thing to have the navy operate Harriers, but if they start flying high-performance jets that will cut into the Air Force's budget. The Indian government, on the other hand, wants closer ties with Russia, and Gorshkov is one of several arms purchases they have made recently. The Russians are so anxious to dispose of the ship that they are offering her to India for the cost of the refit, which is still a tidy $700 million's worth of business for Russian shipyards. Committing to the Russian carrier should have settled it. The decision was originally described as a choice to either buy Gorshkov or build a carrier in-country. Now the Navy has decided to build their own carrier as well. Why are they building and buying? Viraat is due to start a refit in late 1999, which will take 18 months. This will keep her in service until 2005 or 2006, but the new carrier would not be ready until 2010 at the earliest. Gorshkov will thus fill the gap. The Indian Navy has announced plans to build a locally-designed "Air Defense Ship" of 24,000 tons, which will carry a locally-designed light attack aircraft (the LCA) and a locally-designed light helicopter (the ALH). (How do you say "boondoggle" in Hindu?) The ability of the Indian defense industry to produce a carrier is questionable at best, and acquiring the capability to build one, much less the carrier itself, will be expensive. If the examples of the Godavari and Delhi classes are any indication, the carrier's design and construction will be protracted. Funds for Gorshkov's refit and the new carrier will strain not just the naval budget, but the national treasury. The reason for the willingness may be found in their appreciation of the The MiG I.42 experimental prototype carrier's ability to project Indian military power and prestige, not just in the Indian Ocean, but adjacent waters. In March, India deployed Viraat, accompanied by the destroyer Ranvijay, and the tanker Shakti, to the Persian Gulf. Nobody's said if Admiral Bhagwat's going to get his job back. Russia has unveiled its MiG I.42 (shown at right). Billed in the early 1980s as Russia's answer to the F-22, it is now described MiG spokesmen as a "flying laboratory," an experimental prototype. It is also claimed to be faster than the F-22, stealthy (although they have now backed off from saying it is fully stealthy), fitted with vectored-thrust engines, and just like the F-22, capable of supercruise at M1.6 to M1.8. Also like the F-22, it can carry some of its weapons internally. Like all Russian development programs, it has been hampered by lack of funds, at one time development was simply halted for a year. MiG spokesmen say they hope to have the plane make its first flight sometime in 1999. One reason for the public unveiling was to generate outside interest, and hopefully outside funding. MiG has claimed that they can make five or six test flights using their own funds, but that isn't anywhere close to a flight test program. Although rumored to have flown in 1997, it is likely that the prototype has never flown, and may never fly (although one commentator has suggested, "It can probably taxi like hell"). The technical challenges of developing an advanced, "fifth-generation" fighter are big enough when the project is fully funded. Look at the delays and high price of the development of the F-22 here in the US. BT Back to The Naval Sitrep #16 Table of Contents Back to Naval Sitrep List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Larry Bond and Clash of Arms. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com