Article Posted on : - Nov 20, 2013

Vikramaditya was commissioned into the Navy on Nov. 16. An Indian Navy photo

NEW DELHI (PTI): Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya may have been snooped by a surveillance aircraft belonging to one of the NATO countries when it was undergoing sea trials in Russia.

The aircraft carrier may have been snooped by an American-origin P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft belonging to the NATO nations, sources said.

They, however, said the warship was with the Russian Navy when the P-3C Orion flew close to it during the sea trials.

INS Vikramaditya has generated a lot of interest in the global navies and a lot of them, including both friends and adversaries, want to know about its capabilities and strengths.

The warship was handed to the Indian Navy on Saturday (Nov. 16) at the Sevmash shipyard in Russia after a delay of more than five years.

The warship, without any air defence missile system, is being escorted by a group of frigates and tanker ships to bring it to India and home it at the Karwar naval base in Karnataka.

The escorting warships are also expected to protect it from any snooping attempt and other such measures.