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India buys Russia aircraft carrier

The Russian carrier Admiral Gorshkov
The Russian carrier Admiral Gorshkov

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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India has signed a $1.5 billion deal to buy a used Russian aircraft carrier and Russian fighter jets.

Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes on Tuesday inked the package that includes the carrier Admiral Gorshkov and 28 MiG-29k fighters as Sergei Ivanov, his Russian counterpart, looked on.

India already has one aircraft carrier, the INS Viraat, built in the 1950s as the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes. India's leading military rival in the region, Pakistan, has none.

Indian officials have discussed purchasing the Admiral Gorshkov for eight years. The 45,000-ton, 273-meter (887-foot) ship was launched in 1982 and struck off the Russian navy's list of active vessels in 1996.

The carrier will undergo an extensive refit before India takes possession.

Ivanov said the handover could come as late as 2008.


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