Admiral Arun Prakash

MOSCOW: India and Russia will hold naval war games next year, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash said here.

"INDRA-2007," to be held off Russia's Pacific coast in early 2007, will be the third such exercise since 2003. The first one was held in Russia.

``The basic idea is to create inter-operability and practise anti-submarine and anti-aircraft warfare,'' Admiral Prakash told The Hindu .

``It's a progressive process of learning from each other,'' he said.

Admiral Prakash, who arrived here on June 19, met Russia's Chief of Staff General Yuri Baluyevsky, Navy chief Admiral Vladimir Masorin and Air Chief-General Vladimir Mikhailov on Tuesday.

Admiral Prakash undertook a 30-minute flight in the latest version of the MiG-29 multi-role fighter.

``It's a very good, very capable aircraft,'' he said, adding that its naval version Russia was building for India will make its maiden flight in ``two-three months.'' India has bought 16 deck-based MiG-29K planes for the Gorshkov aircraft carrier which is being retrofitted for the Indian Navy in Severodvinsk.

Admiral Prakash said both projects were moving forward ``satisfactorily'' as per contracts.

To discuss details

During his weeklong visit, Admiral Prakash will travel to the Russian naval dockyards in Severodvinsk, visit St. Petersburg and go to Vladivostok to discuss details of "INDRA-2007."

He will also review the progress in upgrading India's three IL-38 naval reconnaissance aircraft in Russia. India had taken delivery of two upgraded IL-38 to replace two Il-38 it lost in an accident in 2002.

The upgraded IL-38 are fitted with Russia's latest Sea Dragon suit, which can detect and target enemy submarines within the range of 320 km and aircraft in the 90 km range.

Earlier reports said India had plans to have the Sea Dragon installed on its eight Tu-142ME long-range naval spy aircraft. This would enable India to keep a watch on the entire Indian Ocean as far as Antarctica.

Russia's Irkut company, with its IL-38, is one of a handful of contenders in an Indian Navy tender to purchase eight more maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The other bidders include Airbus, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin.

According to Admiral Prakash, it will take 12 to 18 months to evaluate the proposals.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail