Originally built by the Soviets, named the aircraft carrier as Baku and commissioned on 1987, turned too expensive for the Russians to maintain. After years of negotiations India finally bought the aircraft carrier for $2.35 billion and named it INS Vikramaditya.
Basically the ship was given free of cost but India had to pay Russian $1.35 billion for upgrade and refit of the ship. Additionally $1 Billion were spent on buying aircraft and weapon systems.
The INS Vikramaditya can carry a total of 30 aircraft which include 20 Mig-29Ks and 10 possible mix of KA-28s, KA-31 or HAL Dhruvs. The United States offered Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye, but the Indian Navy declined the offer.
