India to Complete NITKA Aviation Simulator in 2012

First runways for deck-based aviation land simulator NITKA built for Indian Navy at naval base Hansa will be completed by the end of 2012. According to The New Indian Express, construction of the takeoff strip is to be finished by June 2012, and the landing one – by the year end.

The NITKA simulator is being constructed under auspices of Russian specialists within a $60-mln contract tied with Rosoboronexport in 2009, reports The New Indian Express. India's expenses on construction of the training asset are evaluated as INR 1.75 bln ($35.5 mln).

For Indian Navy, the simulator will be a static model of aircraft carrier INS Vikrant being built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. In particular, NITKA will be equipped with a 14-degree ski-ramp, arresters, and other landing facilities.

According to The New Indian Express, the simulator is primarily designed for test flights of prospective lightweight fighters Tejas to be stationed on the carrier. In prospect, NITKA can be used for training of the rest Indian Navy's pilots as well as MiG-29K pilots.

Presently, only the US and Ukraine operate such ground-based carrier deck simulators. Ukrainian NITKA is located in Crimea and used by Russian Navy on a leasehold basis as well as naval base in Sevastopol.

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