Aviation Trials Of INS Vikramaditya To Begin In July

Critical aircraft trials of the INS Vikramaditya (formerly known as the Admiral Gorshkov) will begin next month as fighter jets start taking off from the carrier. Scheduled to join the Indian Navy in December, the Russian side will begin trials on the carrier’s aviation complex in July using two MiG 29K fighter aircraft. The ship trials of the aircraft carrier had started early this month in the White Sea, after a short delay, and will now head the Briants Sea for the aviation complex trials. During the trials, the aircraft carrier will be checked for navigation, radars and landing facilities at the warship in presence of the Indian team. Russian experts will carry out the trials for the next six months and as part of the contract will train a team from the Indian Navy for flying operations on the aircraft at a shore-based facility in Ukraine. The purchase of Admiral Gorshkov was agreed in 2004 but delivery to India has been long delayed. India has already received a squadron of 16 MiG 29K aircraft from Russia and has deployed it at its air base in Goa.