![A MiG-29K fighter takes off from the Indian Navy's new Vikramaditya aircraft carrier during recent trials in Russia's White Sea ahead of planned delivery later this year. [Photo: Sevmash].](https://www.ainonline.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,format=webp,quality=95/https://backend.ainonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/fpsc_1200x630/public/uploads/2013/06/vikramaditya_ope8596.jpg?h=aa9062b0&itok=seCixzDj)
The Indian Navy is set to receive four additional Kamov Ka-28 anti-submarine warfare and five Ka-31 radar picket helicopters when its new Vikramaditya aircraft carrier is delivered, hopefully by the end of 2013. The new rotorcraft will supplement nine Ka-31s delivered between 1999 and 2004 and 16 Ka-28s that entered service in the late 1980s. The Indian Navy has been a good customer to the Russian helicopter manufacturer and has five Ka-25PLs that it inherited from the former Soviet navy in the 1980s. If India opts to order more Talwar-class frigates from Russia, this could lead to further contracts for Russian-made naval helicopters.