The new ACNS (Air Materiel), Rear Admiral Srinivas Kanugo, will have three sub-directorates looking at air logistics, plans/procurement and perspectives and systems engineering under him, as well as responsibility for air technical manpower management.
Defense Minister Arackaparambil Kurian Antony will be on a three-day visit to Russia next week, but will not get a chance to witness the ambitious Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) flight demonstration due to scheduling problems.
The first sea trials of the INS Vikramaditya, the erstwhile Russian carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, have been postponed by five months. Russian website RUSNAVY.com reports that the sortie, which was earlier scheduled for the end of this year, is now being planned for May 2012.
The Indian Navy’s new fleet tanker, Shakti (Power), was launched on Monday at Fincantieri’s Sestre Ponente Shipyard of Fincantieri in Geoa in Italy.
The Indian Navy is satisfied with the upgrade work of the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, that it is expected to acquire by the end of 2012. The Controller, Warship Production of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral NN Kumar visited Russia earlier this month and surveyed the upgrade process of the carrier that is currently underway.
