Mooring trails for Indian carrier

After near a decade long rebuilding, the mooring trails of aircraft-carrier Admiral Gorshkov starts in Severodvinsk.

The large former Soviet aircraft carrier has been a headache for the naval yard in Severodvinsk all time since Russia in 2004 signed the agreement to sell and rebuild the vessel to the Indian navy.

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Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk and the Indian navy have both disagreed on costs and time-schedule for the aircraft carrier that sailed for the Soviet / Russian navy from 1987 to 1994.

It is believed that India will pay Russia some $2.2 billion for Admiral Gorshkov.

Press-service of Sevmash says the mooring trails for the vessel started on March 1st. The yard says this is a serious step in the modernization of the vessel that now enters its final rebuilding step.

Tests of the main machinery will be the most difficult part of the ongoing tests, says Anastasia Nikitinskaya, head of press service at Sevmash.

If the tests at quay prove successful, Admiral Gorshkov will sail for sea trails out in the White- and Barents Seas in the autumn this year.

Once the aircraft carrier sails to Indian waters, it will be renamed INS Vikramaditya.