(1st Update)

Sure enough, after hearing the delegation's reply, the Indian Ministry of Defense only held a brief meeting and approved the $1.56 billion Gorshkov conversion plan, but Kapoor still asked the delegation to cut one cent from the Soviets and spend as little money as possible to complete the Gorshkov refit.

After returning to the negotiating table, the Indian delegation had a fierce bargain with General Sergeyev, hoping to give more preferential treatment on the price, while Sergeyev said that the waiver of 100 million US dollars was the final bottom line, and the Soviet Union would definitely not give up any other points.

"Listen to me." Sergeyev waved his hand to silence the people, almost saying that everyone sitting there was rubbish. He motioned to the noisy Indian delegation to listen to him, "We in the Soviet Union can indeed cut prices." ”

Hearing this, everyone else exploded, and the Indian delegation was obviously dissatisfied with General Sergeyev's inconsistent attitude, since you can continue to cut prices, then why did you bite that price before? Is this teasing us? Or do you think we're bullies?

Who knows that General Sergeyev replied in a serious manner, "I can certainly say that the Soviet side can take the most inferior materials for laying decks, the worst materials for forging insulated boilers, and the worst interceptor ropes to intercept your planes." We can complete this project with 10000000000 million dollars, but do you dare to ask for such a Gorshkov? Haven't you thought about where every single piece of money is spent? Rather than going back and renovating again in the future. It is better to spend a little more money now to guarantee the quality of this aircraft carrier. ”

Everyone on the other side was silent. Every word Sergeyev said is the truth. An aircraft carrier that does not even dare to guarantee its quality, who dares to sail it out of a military port to the world, it is estimated that it will split and disintegrate before it reaches half of the Indian Ocean, and it has become a joke in the history of warships in the world.

"The part we can cut down on is the commissioning of the Gorshkov after it is completed, and your Indian Navy can try to test and debug it yourself." Sergeyev said, "This is our last concession, and there will be no further cuts in all other areas, if this fact is not acceptable." You'd better be smart. ”

On the one hand, the price of the Soviet Union did not let go, and on the other hand, the high cost of materials, the Indian delegation had no choice but to agree to a modern modification offer of up to 1.46 billion yuan. Of course, the price paid by the Indian Navy is not a one-time payment, they pay 20% of the reservation price first, and when the hull construction progress is 70% complete, they will pay the next final payment.

Of course, in the future, India will regret the frequent accidents caused by this lack of assessments.

This still can't change the fate of Indians who are sold and are grateful to help others count their money. Just after the completion of this large order, the personnel of the Mikoyan Grevich Design Bureau also intervened, asking India if it needed new fighters to become their aircraft carrier-based aircraft.

"Carrier-based aircraft of the MiG-29 special model? Tailor-made for India? "Hearing about the carrier-based aircraft introduced to him by the representative of the MiG Design Bureau, Granovich, the Indian delegation Prakash also suddenly became interested. The special custom version means that such a carrier-based aircraft is the only one in India. No other country has such a model at all, and it's exciting to think about.

"Yes. MiG-29 carrier-based aircraft special edition. Granovich took out a document from his bag and put it in front of Prakash, "We have studied the MiG-29 carrier-based aircraft model, but due to other reasons, the financial chain has been broken, so now we hope to realize the mass production of the carrier-based aircraft of this project, which is a model specially formulated for the Soviet aircraft carrier." ”

The Mikoyan Design Bureau also had its own struggles, although in 1984 the USSR Navy ordered 2 prototypes of the MiG-29K. But in December 1991, the Russian Navy decided to continue the development of only the Su-27K, and the MiG-29K lost the support of government investment. In February 1992, the prototype was demonstrated in Minsk, Belarus, in the configuration of four Kh-31A anti-ship anti-radar missiles and four R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles. The two original aircraft made their last flights on 27 August 1992 and were mothballed thereafter.

The reason for the failure of the MiG-29K was that it was believed that there was not enough range to provide adequate protection for the ship formation, but the Indian Navy's operational thinking was not quite the same as that of the Soviet Union, so the MiG Design Bureau wanted to try its luck here and see if it could sell its own fighters.

"Our first prototype made its maiden flight on June 23, 1988, its first arrest landing on the Kuznetsov aircraft carrier on November 1, 1989, its first glide takeoff on the 17th of that month, and the second prototype (No. 312) made its maiden flight in September 1990 and was the first full-state aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with the N010 Beetle Pulse Doppler radar, which is the flight data and information we record. ”

Granović hurriedly handed a key data record to the Indian delegation, "The MiG-29K fuselage uses a large number of composite materials, accounting for 15 percent of the overall fuselage, and the stability rate of the old MiG-29K after landing is not very good, in order to improve low-speed maneuverability, our MiG-29K uses a double-slit flap with a larger area, and increases the maximum skewness of the leading edge flap from 20 degrees to 30 degrees, and also pretends to have a rectangular leading edge vortex controller on the outside of the edge wing, It is used to increase lift and improve stability. This is also one of the advantages. ”

"The MiG-29K uses 2 RD-33MK "Sea Wasp" turbofan engines, and the thrust of a single engine reaches 88.2KN. Compared to the previous version of the RD-33 engine, it features an improved fan with a 65% increase in air flow, a 40-degree increase in pre-turbo temperature, and a 6.86kN increase in afterburner thrust.

The engine also uses a smokeless combustion chamber, which eliminates smoke traces when the afterburner is not turned on. The full digital electronic control system was adopted to replace the original analog electronic regulator/mechanical-hydraulic backup combination control system. The total fuel capacity of the aircraft is 49% higher than that of the MiG-29, and one 2150L drop fuel tank can be hung on the belly center line and one 1150L drop fuel tank can be carried under each wing of the aircraft. The aircraft can also be used for partner refueling missions, at which point the number of underwing drop tanks can be increased to four, and partner refueling pods in the belly midline. ”

After saying so much in one breath, Granovic glanced at the face of the Indian representative and was relieved to see that the other party wanted to continue the discussion with him.

"And so far, the Soviet side has no intention of selling Su-33 fighters, so the Indian Navy can only use the Yak-38 carrier-based aircraft, and as a carrier-based aircraft of the Yak series, it is certainly not as good as the improved version of the MiG-29 that is more suitable for the deck of the Gorshkov." Granovich confidently said that this is why he dared to swear that he came to sell it.

Because the modified Gorshkov is more suitable for carrier-based aircraft such as the MiG, compared to the Yak-141 carrier-based aircraft that I don't know when it will be mass-produced and the accident-prone Yak-38, the MiG-29K carrier-based aircraft is the best version so far.

It is precisely because of this that the Mikoyan Design Bureau has the confidence to come to the Indian delegation to sell this fighter that can be mass-produced.

The Soviet delegation said with a solemn expression that it was necessary to think about it, and they were already a little tempted by the proposal put forward by the representative of the Mikoyan Design Bureau, not to mention that every word said by the other party struck the body and mind of the Indians, and the Su-33 carrier-based aircraft that were unwilling to be sold, the aging Yak-38, and the Yak-141 that I don't know when it would be able to complete the test for mass production.

"This is our phone number, you can call us at any time if you are interested." Granovic respectfully handed the business card to the Indian delegation, and then said very interestingly, "Then I will retire first, so as not to disturb you." ”

Granović is just the first lobbyist, and there will be people who will continue to lobby Indian Defense Ministry officials and woo them, even if they do not fancy the MiG-29K carrier-based aircraft this time, they will form an impression in their minds that the MiG-29 is an indispensable carrier-based aircraft in the Soviet Navy, and when the next tender comes, these people will also include the MiG-29K in the first consideration.

Next, just wait for India's navy to take the bait. (To be continued.) )