Why does no one want USS Kitty Hawk?
Gee
luck in Hongkong over Thankgiving weekend. The future of USS Kitty
Hawk will be in grave yard in Pacific for fish.
That their primary interest is to prevent a reversal of the Indian
decision to induct the Russian carrier Gorshkov (now estimated to cost
US$1.6 billion in place of the $500 million quoted earlier) is clear
from the primary argument used against the U.S. naval vessel, which is
the age of the four-decade-old ship. However, unlike the Gorshkov,
which is unable to sail at all, the U.S. vessel is operational, and
was recently in the news for its attempt to dock in Hong Kong over the
Thanksgiving weekend.
The fear among those within the Indian defense establishment with
financial ties to Russian and French defense suppliers is that
acquisition of the USS Kitty Hawk would result in New Delhi purchasing
U.S. aircraft for the carrier, and later for the air force, in place
of Russian ones. As such purchases could amount to US$22 billion over
the next five years, the stakes are substantial even in purely
financial terms.
Eager to get India to pay an extra US$1.4 billion for the Russian
carrier, the pro-Russia lobby in India has ignored the fact that the
modified Kiev class aviation cruiser was earlier mothballed due to a
collapse of its propulsion systems. After nearly $500 million was paid
toward a refit by India, it has been pulled out for a very expensive
refurbishment and rechristened the INS Vikramaditya. The effectiveness
of the multidimensional firepower it could unleash after such a $1.9
billion refit is yet to be tested.
Wakalukong
> US want to sell USS Kitty Hawk to India. This sick old vessel has bad
> luck in Hongkong over Thankgiving weekend. The future of USS Kitty
> Hawk will be in grave yard in Pacific for fish.
>
> That their primary interest is to prevent a reversal of the Indian
> decision to induct the Russian carrier Gorshkov (now estimated to cost
> US$1.6 billion in place of the $500 million quoted earlier) is clear
> from the primary argument used against the U.S. naval vessel, which is
> the age of the four-decade-old ship. However, unlike the Gorshkov,
> which is unable to sail at all, the U.S. vessel is operational, and
> was recently in the news for its attempt to dock in Hong Kong over the
> Thanksgiving weekend.
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I'm surprised the US has not tried selling the US$500 million Kitty
Hawk to Malaysia, which might well insist on paying US$1 billion for
it.
Wakalukong
