By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS
The refurbished aircraft carrier Vikramaditya reportedly began its long-delayed sea trials June 8, leaving its Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia and heading for the White Sea.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported the ship, with a mixed Russian-Indian crew, was underway after a series of delays and postponements.
Once planned for delivery to India in 2008, the carrier, formerly the Russian Navy’s Admiral Gorshkov, overcame its latest delay after the shipbuilders said in mid-May they were aiming for a May 25 trials date. According to the Sevmash website, an inclining experiment to measure the ship’s stability was carried out shortly before the sea trials.
If no further delays are encountered, the ship is expected to be delivered to the Indian Navy in December.
Read the full story at DefenseNews