Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will visit India at the end of September to discuss a floundering aircraft carrier deal.

The Indian Navy was originally scheduled to commission the refurbished and retrofitted Admiral Gorshkov by the end of 2008. However, delivery of the Gorshkov (or the eventual INS Vikramaditya) has been delayed until at least 2012.

New Delhi has also complained to Moscow over a dramatic increase in costs associated with the rehabilitation of the modified Kiev class aircraft carrier.

Serdyukov will apparently attempt to assuage Indian concerns over the rapidly sinking carrier deal by resurrecting negotiations over a jointly developed, fifth generation fighter aircraft. A memorandum regarding the co-development of the plane was signed with much fanfare in 2007, but apparently lacked critical "modalities".

Nevertheless, an unfazed Air Chief Marshal Fali H. Major optimistically predicted that the plane would be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) by 2017.

India has taken several notable steps to bolster its Naval forces. For example, a recently published "Joint Doctrine for Amphibious Operations" will reportedly serve as a roadmap for the planning and execution of amphibious operations. The Indian Army maintains two dedicated amphibious brigades, with almost 12,000 soldiers each, on Thiruvananthapuram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In addition, New Delhi purchased a 16,900-tonne Jalashwa transport ship from the US in 2007. The 173-metre-long Landing Pontoon Dock (LPD), currrently the second largest Indian warship in service, is capable of transporting four landing craft, six helicopters and a battalion of 900 soldiers. X

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