Understood that India needs only one or two aircraft carriers and hence can't go for setting up an entire manufacturing base, also given that there aren't many countries which will order and buy aircraft carriers!
The thing is - why is India wanting to buy a refurbished aircraft carrier? Why the hell isn't it asking for a brand new carrier to be built for it??!
RE:Gadbad deal
by italyseaayi on Feb 28, 2008 12:47 AM Permalink
India is building an aircraft carrier, and also a nuclear submarine to be ready by 2012.
RE:Gadbad deal
by keith pavlak on Feb 28, 2008 12:56 AM Permalink
because buying an aircraft carrier is not like buying a TV or fridge that you go to a store and buy. There are many strategic concerns. Also, there are a very few countries that have the capability of building their own ships, leave along a battlegroup strike carrier.Believe it or not, India has this capability in Mumbai,Cochin,Kolkata and Vizag. and it building its own aircraft carrier in mumbai. Giving away a carrier only means the country that owns it wants to retire it and wants to profit from its retirement.India's current geo-strategic situation may not demand a carrier right now, but no one knows how things will pan out tomorrow.A carrier strike group is a force projector and gives the Indian Navy strategic reach.Which is absolutely essential considering our neighbours.By the way, the kitty hawk is coming up for retirement this year and has been working for the past 40 years and the americans want to sell it to us.It is because they have bigger and more powerful carriers like the Nimitz and Enterprise which are nuclear powered and Kitty Hawk is not.Also, it gives the americans strategic leverage when the multi role combat aircraft deal is signed. They can always say, choose the F/A 18, it will work for your navy as well as your airforce and no other country is offering India an aircraft carrier for the fighter jet deal besides the Americans.It is a fully operational vessal when compared to the Gorshkov and gives us an option of choosing sellers.Also, this happens to be
