MOSCOW, February 13 (RIA Novosti) – India has proposed servicing a Russian-built aircraft carrier delivered to the country last month together with Russia’s Sevmash shipyard over the next 40 years, the shipbuilder said Thursday.
Sevmash said the current servicing contract is for 20 years, but that Indian naval officials have proposed to extend that timeframe.
“Our Indian partners have proposed to conduct all service work on the ship together with Sevmash,” the White Sea-based shipbuilder said.
The Vikramaditya was ceremonially handed over to India in November, but only departed from Russia in December, and arrived safely at its new home port Karwar last month.
Sevmash representatives are scheduled to visit India next month as part of an intergovernmental military cooperation commission.
The two countries have longstanding military ties and, among other projects, have cooperated on the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile and the fifth-generation PAK-FA jet fighter still under development.
