Article Posted on : - Aug 14, 2014

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Navy has said it was taking steps to ensure that its warship programmes are not affected due to the conflict in Ukraine which supplies engines and other critical equipment for its projects.

"The main supplier of engines and generators for our warships 'Zoraya' is not in conflict-affected areas of Ukraine and thus we are not affected", Navy's Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition Vice Admiral A V Subhedar told reporters on Wednesday.

He said the Indian Naval Attache in Kiev, Ukraine, has analysed the situation and given a report that most of the suppliers of the Navy are located outside the conflict zone.

There is an ongoing conflict in areas of Ukraine where pro-Russian militia and government troops are engaged in a battle.

Subhedar said that despite this, the Navy is taking steps to create an alternative chain of suppliers for its projects as it does not want to take any chances over its projects.

He said the Navy is at present building 44 warships and they are under various stages of production in Indian public and private sector shipyards.