The Hindu : `No confusion over Gorshkov purchase'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 07, 2003

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`No confusion over Gorshkov purchase'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI DEC. 6. The Minister of State for Defence, O. Rajagopal, said today that there was no confusion over purchasing the Russian aircraft-carrier, Admiral Gorshkov.

Asked about the differences in opinion expressed by the Indian Navy Chief, Madhvendra Singh, and the Russian Defence Ministry, he said the two statements were not contradictory. "There is no contradiction (in what the Navy Chief and the Russian authorities have said). The discussions are over. The deal will be signed when the Russian Defence Minister comes here," he told presspersons at the Chennai Airport here.

The Navy Chief was reported to have said that the Gorshkov deal had been finalised and that India would have to pay Rs. 3,000 crores for this Kiev class aircraft-carrier. The Russian Defence Ministry, on December 2, had denied reports of the finalisation of an agreement between the two countries, saying that at least three questions still remained to be resolved.

On the roll-out of the first batch of the indigenously assembled T-90 Main Battle Tank (MBT) from the Avadi Heavy Vehicles Factory, he said that this would happen shortly. "We will finalise a date soon. It will take place when the Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister, George Fernandes) comes here."

Earlier, defence production experts had hoped that the first MBT would be ready by September. Since more testing had to be carried out a late-December date was set.

The T-90 tanks are being imported from Russia in a semi knocked down condition and assembled here.

Once the Avadi Factory gains experience in this, completely knocked down tanks will be imported and assembled here.

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