Israeli Tech Preferred Over Russian for Indian Carrier

India has publically declined a Russian offer to equip its new aircraft carrier with the Kashtan close-in weapon system, preferring systems from either Israel or France, the Strategy Page website reports.

The aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, was refurbished by Russia from an old Russian carrier, while the Kashtan system, which has been in service since 1989, uses two six-barrel 30mm autocannon to destroy nearby anti-ship missiles.

But India has made no secret of its dissatisfaction with the delays and cost overruns associated with the carrier, as well as Russia's support of the many Russian weapons systems already purchased.

India already uses Israel's Barak 1 missile system for anti-ship missile defense and is considering the much more capable Barak 8. Indian sources say that the Israeli systems are more expensive than their Russian counterparts but have proven more effective and reliable. Israeli tech support is also far superior to what the Russians offer.