BERLIN, May 22 (UPI) -- India's is expected to approve a $1.6 billion order for three new frigates to be built in Russia.
According to first deputy director of the Russian Federal Service for Military Technological Cooperation Aleksandr Denisov Moscow expects that the Indian government to approve the contract within days. The ships are to be delivered by 2010-2011.
Interfax-AVN reported Saturday that Denisov said at the ILA-2006 air show in Berlin that the contract was taking longer to conclude than expected because of bureaucratic delays involving Indian government approval procedures.
The contract is the second between India and Russia for frigates. In 1997 India signed a $1 billion contract with Russia for three Krivak-class frigates. Beginning in 2003, India received the three ships: the INS Tabar, INS Trushul and INS Talvar. The three ships incorporated stealth technology and are said to be the most modern Russian warships ever offered for export, carrying surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, supplemented by anti-submarine capabilities.
Russia is already India's largest supplier of warships and fighter aircraft.
