The delivery schedule of the already much-delayed warship slipped further after it encountered engine malfunctions during sea trials in Russia and is now expected to be delivered in the second half of next year.
During the meeting of the India Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IR-IGMTC) next month, the issue will come up for discussion, Navy officials said here.
In Moscow, Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told news agency RIA Novosti that the carrier issue will be discussed between the two sides next month.
"We plan to discuss our further cooperation in this project with our Indian colleagues at a meeting of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission on military- technical cooperation which will he held in Delhi in early October," he said.
The ship, rechristened INS Vikramaditya, was scheduled for commissioning into Indian Navy by December 4 this year but Russian media reports have suggested that it would now be delivered only in October 2013.
Navy officials said so far Russian officials have not communicated the extent of damage caused to the warship due to the malfunctioning of the boilers.
They said India is expected to ask the Russian side to hand over the carrier to the Indian side within the stipulated delivery schedule and carry out the required overhauls within that time frame. (More)
