Article Posted on : - May 09, 2012

Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya. Photo: Indian Navy.

NEW DELHI (PTI): India will get aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and nuclear submarine INS Arihant next year providing a much needed boost to country's naval capabilities.

Wrapping up a discussion on the performance of his Ministry in the Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister A K Antony has said from 2013, the Navy will get five new warships every year which will help in modernising country's naval fleet.

"In the early half of next year, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov) will sail to Indian shores and the strategic indigenous submarine also would be inducted by the middle of next year," he said.

Admiral Gorshkov is undergoing trials in Russia and is expected to be commissioned into the Navy on December 4.

India and Russia had signed a deal in 2004 for the aircraft carrier which will arrive in the country after a delay of four years.

The Defence Minister said a nuclear submarine INS Chakra has also been leased from Russia and the "Navy was in the process of being strengthened."