India eyes U.S. F-18s for its Russian-built aircraft carrier22/05/2008 15:11 MOSCOW, May 22 (RIA Novosti) - The Indian Navy has asked Boeing for the use of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet supersonic carrier-based fighter aircraft on board a Russian-made carrier, Russian daily Izvestia said on Thursday.
A Boeing spokesman confirmed that his company had received a request from India for use of the fighters on board the Vikramaditya, formerly named the Admiral Gorshkov.
Russia was to start deliveries of MiG-29K Fulcrum-D carrier fighters to India for the Admiral Gorshkov in May.
The contract, signed in January 2004, stipulates the delivery of 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four two-seat MiG-29KUBs by 2009, to be later deployed on the Admiral Gorshkov, currently being retrofitted in Russia for the Indian Navy.
A MiG spokesman denied any knowledge of negotiations between the Indian Air Force and Boeing.
Russian military experts have said using F-18 Super Hornets on the Admiral Gorshkov would pose difficulties.
After long-running delays and disputes, Russia and India agreed in February to raise refit costs for the aircraft carrier, berthed at the Sevmash shipyard in north Russia for the past 12 years.
The carrier is to replace India's INS Viraat, which although still operational is 50 years old.
India contracted the $1.5 billion Admiral Gorshkov for its navy in 2004. Moscow has since demanded an additional $1.2 billion, a sum New Delhi has called exorbitant.
Source
http://en.rian.ru/world/20080522/108098062.html
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