India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

Ohioguy · February 23, 2008, 7:59pm

While the Indians had been planning to buy a mothballed Russian Carrier, that project is way behind, over budget, and the Russians are making noises like they may want to keep the ship anyway.

The Kitty Hawk is much larger, more capable, and would be given to India free, contingent upon India purchasing F-18s. This deal changes the balance of power considerably in South Asia. Obviously an entire Carrier battle group would also have to be purchased to protect the carrier. The Russians may be losing one of their best customers…

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/772agroh.asp

The Carrier Cold War
The U.S. tries to shut Russia out of India’s defense market.
by Reuben F. Johnson
02/22/2008 12:00:00 AM

*Beijing

If current rumors in India are true, the United States could end up providing India what its traditional Russian arms supplier has long promised to provide, but so far failed to deliver. In the process the United States could deliver a severe blow to Russia’s defense industry, adding another item to the long list of grievances Russian officialdom has lodged against the United States.
During the Cold War, India was famously the largest and most powerful of the “non-aligned” nations that stayed out of the East v. West confrontation. At the same time, however, India enjoyed close relations with the then-Soviet Union that went beyond just the bonds of political convenience and trade ties between the two nations.

ssingh · February 23, 2008, 8:10pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

Free??...it will be charged for refit. Displacement is big, almost twice that of the one which india is trying to buy from russia.So maintainance cost will be bigger. And india has already indicated that they will buy MIG 29K/KUB for it's navy. So i doubt india opting for F/A-18. And already more than 500 million $ has been paid to the russians for gorshkov. So difficult to go back.

But I will be happy to see kitty hawk with indian navy.

Ohioguy · February 23, 2008, 8:57pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

more here

http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/

kaka_in_usa · February 24, 2008, 6:07pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

while it sounds good... the question is can we afford to maintain it....
i personally like more smaller aircraft careers then one huge one...

mAd_ScIeNtIsT · February 25, 2008, 2:00pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

Interesting - and a smart way to try and wean India off of Russian arms. For the reasons the Indian posters in this thread have given, I think India will ultimately turn down this deal.

But it's a sign of things to come. The US will try and slowly wean India away from military ties to Russia in favour of military ties to the USA - generally, a country tends to supports its mains arms supplier on international affairs.

Given India's growing influence, it is in the West's interest to break India's Russian ties and replace them with US and Western European links. India will be aware that Western arms will ultimately require aligning with the West rather than maintaining a more independent or even pro-Russian stance - who knows what choice will be made in the future?

India would also know that if it becomes a heavy purchaser of US arms, then it would benefit through influencing the amount of US weaponry that pakistan gets. For example, India could start threatening to cancel massive military orders if advanced weapons are given to Pakistan; or India could position itself such that if the US provides weaponry to Pakistan then it provides the same or greater weaponry to India.

ssingh · February 25, 2008, 3:44pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

If you gain something you loose something. If India starts buying arms from the west more, then it would mean that Russia showing its willingness to sell arms to pakistan if pakistan approaches them.

I will mind if russia sells arms to pakistan. But certainly not very much. As i said, If you loose something, you gain something.

Moonshiner · February 25, 2008, 4:07pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

It would be better if both countries stopped dealing with Western powers and Russia and started building their own weapons and military hardware; thereby not having to adhere to other powers' military doctrine, which is not relevant to their own needs. But I guess some people like being slaves to the West.

ashtray · February 25, 2008, 4:22pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

Ohioguy, six and a half years of membership should have been enough for any other nationality to realize that this is a PAKISTANI board!!! What has a deal between India and US gottas do with us? haiN? take it to an American board or an Indian board. Next time dont post unconcerned shiite on gs unless it is Pakistani, or bollywoody or hollywoody. kindly do not use our precious little server space with this garbage again.

This also does not apply to pics of bombshell babes.

mAd_ScIeNtIsT · February 25, 2008, 4:56pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

^^

India's military purchases affect Pakistan's security, hence this is relevant.

kaka_in_usa · February 25, 2008, 7:06pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

GS is a pakistani board which is "open" to people from every nationality. GS has international forums, international movies forums etc etc... half or more than half of GS members are either non pakistanis or living outside the pakistan. more than half have either US or UK as their homeland..
this topic is naturally in interest of GS members...

Moonshiner · February 25, 2008, 7:11pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

Did I miss those?

ssingh · February 25, 2008, 9:38pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

^^are u pakpatriot1?...Don't mind just asking. He is absent strangely.

Moonshiner · February 25, 2008, 11:39pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

Nope.

ssingh · March 3, 2008, 5:33pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

India, Russia finalise new deal on Gorshkov

BY : NDTV

India and Russia have finalised a new deal for the aircraft carrier, the Gorshkov.

According to the sources, under the new deal that was hammered out over the weekend, India will pay more for the aircraft carrier.

But in return, the Russians will put in several new parts instead of repairing them as agreed upon in the original contract.

The aircraft carrier was to be delivered by August this year according to a contract signed in 2004 but Russia stunned India in November by demanding more money.

Russia had asked for $ 1.2 billion more for refitting and other works.

NDTV learnt over the weekend that India and Russia agreed on a new deal that will hopefully see the carrier with the Indian navy by 2012.

Now, India will pay possibly up to 800 million dollars more than the original price of 1.2 billion dollars.

For the extra money, the Russians have now agreed to:

Put in a new arrester gear for the planes
Build a new ski jump for the MiG-29 planes
Install new boilers in the engine room
And lay new cables, estimated at 2,400 km

How much extra India will pay will be decided in March after two more rounds of negotiations take place.

Top Indian Navy officers say even if India pays additional 700-800 million dollars for the new Gorshkov, it will still be worth the cost since a new carrier will cost more than Four billion dollars.

http://www.idrw.org/2008/02/26/india_russia_finalise_new_deal_on_gorshkov.html.

legbreakgoogly · June 15, 2008, 2:25pm

Re: India to buy the USS Kitty Hawk?

Doesnt impact Pakistan. Indian Navy is already a different league to PN. It has huge coastlines to defend, we need only a small maritime defence force. These purchases are China specific and focusing on power projection.

Abdali · June 15, 2008, 9:41pm

Don't make no difference to Chinese, Chinese are US focused..

iPundit · June 15, 2008, 10:26pm

the only competitive military hardware Chinese have is their Missiles...rest all Military hardware is trash...

Regarding USS kitty Hawk....i dont think India should go for USS Kitty Hawk even if it comes free neither India should consider F-18 Hornet. Russia is our all weather and trusted friend. The multi-billion MRCA deal should go to Russia.

Abdali · June 16, 2008, 2:02am

I find it hilarious when you belittle Chinese hardware, don't ever underestimate dragons mili toys unless you are itching for another vijay.

Oh BTW US has already said they never had any plans to sell any Kitty, the rumor was a wet dream started in India.

burqaposhx · June 16, 2008, 4:45am

I realize that trade of civilian products is sometimes not linked to the trade of military hardware. But in case of USA it probably is.

If India can earn billions trading with USA's civilian sector, then at some stage Americans will ask for a return favor and India has to buy American military products.

And the process has already started. India recently signed deal to buy military transport planes from USA and the deal was pretty big.

Kitty Hawk deal may be just rumors right now. But in the long run, Americans will do their best to extract every cents' worth of benefit from the Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese and other "trading partners".

legbreakgoogly · June 16, 2008, 9:36pm

Agreed, but India is the continental rival in the LR for China. The 2 Asian giants are engaged in a power struggle, be it subtlety as opposed to blatant.