Why India's Aircraft Carrier from Russia Was a Total Lemon
Key point: Buyers can't be choosers when there are very few sellers to pick from.
Like a lot of countries, India wants the best weapons it can afford. But ideological and financial concerns mean there are a lot of things it won’t buy from the United States or Europe. That pretty much leaves, well, Russia.
India has been a big buyer of Russian weapons for 50 years. Those haven’t been easy years for New Delhi. India’s defense contracts with Russia have consistently suffered delays and cost overruns. And the resulting hardware doesn’t always work.
Of all India’s Russian procurement woes, none speak more to the dysfunctional relationship between the two countries than the saga of INS Vikramaditya. In the early 2000s, India went shopping for a new aircraft carrier. What followed was a military-industrial nightmare.
要点：当可供选择的卖家很少的时候，买家就没办法挑三拣四了。
像许多国家一样，印度希望购买到能力范围内最好的武器。但意识形态和财力方面的担忧意味着，印度没法从美国或欧洲购买到很多东西。那么剩下可选的就是俄罗斯了。
50年来，印度一直是俄罗斯武器的大买家。这几年对新德里来说并不容易。印度与俄罗斯的防务合同一直受到拖延和成本超支的困扰。结果武器硬件常常出问题。
印度在俄罗斯采购方面遇到的所有麻烦中，尤以“维克拉玛蒂亚号”航母最能说明两国关系的失调。21世纪初，印度购买了一艘新航母。可没想到随之而来的是一场军工噩梦。
Wanted—one new(ish) carrier
In 1988, the Soviet Union commissioned the aircraft carrier Baku. She and her four sisters of the Kiev class represented a unique Soviet design. The front third resembled a heavy cruiser, with 12 giant SS-N-12 anti-ship missiles, up to 192 surface-to-air missiles and two 100-millimeter deck guns. The remaining two-thirds of the ship was basically an aircraft carrier, with an angled flight deck and a hangar.
Baku briefly served in the Soviet navy until the USSR dissolved in 1991. Russia inherited the vessel, renamed her Admiral Gorshkov and kept her on the rolls of the new Russian navy until 1996. After a boiler room explosion, likely due to a lack of maintenance, Admiral Gorshkov went into mothballs.
需求：一艘新航母
1988年，苏联建造了巴库号航空母舰。这艘航母和另外四艘基辅级航母代表着独特的苏联设计。其有三分之一类似重型巡洋舰，配备12枚巨型SS-N-12反舰导弹，多达192枚地对空导弹和两门100毫米甲板炮。还有三分之二基本而言是航空母舰，上有一个倾斜的飞行甲板和一个机库。
巴库曾在苏联海军短暂服役到1991年苏联。俄罗斯拿回了这艘航母，将其重新命名为“戈尔什科夫海军上将”号，并将其保留在俄罗斯新海军的名单上，直到1996年才退役。可能是由于缺乏维护，戈尔什科夫上将发生了锅炉房爆炸，后被封存。
In the early 2000s, India faced a dilemma. The Indian navy’s only carrier INS Viraat was set to retire in 2007. Carriers help India assert influence over the Indian Ocean—not to mention, they’re status symbols. New Delhi needed to replace Viraat, and fast.
India’s options were limited. The only countries building carriers at the time—the United States, France and Italy—were building ships too big for India’s checkbook. In 2004, India and Russia struck a deal in which India would receive Admiral Gorshkov. The ship herself would be free, but India would pay $974 million dollars to Russia to upgrade her.
21世纪初，印度面临着一个两难境地。印度海军唯一的航母“维拉特”号将于2007年退役。航母帮助印度在印度洋施加影响——更不用说，航母就是身份地位的象征。新德里需要尽快用新航母来取代“维拉特”号。
印度的选择十分有限。当时有能力建造航母的国家只有美国、法国和意大利，他们建造的航母对印度来说太大了。2004年，印度和俄罗斯达成协议，印度将接收戈尔什科夫海军上将。这艘航母本身是免费的，但印度需要支付9.74亿美元给俄罗斯，对航母进行升级。
雅虎网站读者评论：
Adam2 days ago
Russian Air Craft Carrier is a White Elephant ---------- looks good but does not work
俄罗斯航空母舰是个华而不实的负担——看起来不错，但一点也不实用
Alex
" The ship herself would be free, but India would pay $974 million dollars to Russia to upgrade her."
hahaha that's a deal that puts u at the mercy of Russia if ever I saw one..
“这艘航母本身是免费的，但印度必须支付9.74亿美元给俄罗斯，进行航母升级。”
哈哈，这样的交易，你就得听俄罗斯摆布了。
Joe
When India opened the repair manual all it had was a picture of duct tape.
当印度翻开维修手册，里面只有一张管道胶带的图片。
Al
I hope the ship yard gets more carriers to build, this way most will be in dry dock the majority of the time for repairs and no threat to anyone. You get what you pay for when it comes to things like this.
我希望这个造船厂能造更多的航母，这样大部分时间航母都会停靠在干船坞维修，不会对任何人造成威胁。一分钱一分货。
Christian
Who in their right mind buys a ship from a country that doesn't have a warm-water port?
那个脑子正常的人会从一个没有温水港的国家购买船只呢？
Everybodydancenow
Do you think when the Captain called tech support the call just routed to the guy sitting next to him?
你觉得船长打电话给技术支持时，电话会不会转接到坐在他旁边的人那里？
Rousslan
Admiral Gorshkov is “aircraft cruiser”, not “aircraft carrier”. It seems the author doesn’t see any difference. Russians don’t build the carriers. They build cruisers with quite powerful rocket systems, very advanced ones. But they would like to have some planes on board for any case.
戈尔什科夫上将是“飞机巡洋舰”，而不是“航空母舰”。作者似乎没发现什么不同。俄罗斯人不造航母。他们用非常先进的火箭系统建造巡洋舰。但他们都希望能有一些飞机在上面。
Jeff
When you buy a used Aircraft Carrier from Russia, It does not come with a Warranty! LOL
当你从俄罗斯购买二手航空母舰时，它是没有保修的！哈哈
Granite
As an American, all I can say if these results continue. Continue to use their services.
作为一个美国人，我只能说，继续使用他们的服务吧。
Richard
The Russians brag about having the largest machine in the world.It takes 2 people to steer it and 500 people to push it!
俄罗斯人吹嘘他们拥有世界上最大的机器。需要两个人来驾驶，另外还需要500个人来推！
elsquared67
India's mistake was taking the carrier for free, then paying Russia for the work. Russia played them for fools. They should have just bought the carrier outright, then asked for bids on the work from shipyards in other countries.
印度错在收了免费的航母，然后付钱给俄罗斯进行升级。俄罗斯愚弄了他们。他们应该直接买下航母，然后向其他国家的造船厂招标。
Kal
Trusting the Russian was their first mistake, then agreeing to a deal with them is their second.
信任俄罗斯人是他们的第一个错误，而与他们达成协议则是他们的第二个错误。
DavidC
Because it was MADE IN RUSSIA! That is why it is a lemon. What do you expect when their only one has to have tug boats go with it to tow it back to port.
因为这是俄罗斯制造的！这就是它这么不堪的原因。他们唯一的一艘航母都被拖船拖回港口了，你还能指望什么？
Steve
Offered the product for under a billion and wanted to change the price, after the agreement was made, to about 4 billion. Sounds like a few auto-body shops I dealt with in the past!
以低于10亿美元的价格出售该产品，并在协议达成后将价格调整至40亿美元左右。听起来很像我以前接触过的几家汽车修理店的套路！
RichardG
As next step, India can consider to buy Air Craft Carrier from China. China only take three years to build a new on on average
下一步，印度可以考虑从中国购买航空母舰。中国平均只需要3年就可以建成一艘新航母。
tRumpissaMOron
Question: How does a Russian admiral review his surface fleet?
Answer: With a GLASS BOTTOMED BOAT!!!!
问:俄罗斯海军上将如何检阅他的海上舰队?
答:乘坐玻璃底的船!!
bala
INDIA having learned its lesson is building its own third Aircraft carrier which will go into service in few yrs.
印度已经吸取了教训，正在建造自己的第三艘航母，几年后将投入使用。
No Code
The world is fascinated by death and destruction. Fixated on it. We never ever even consider living in peace with each other. And for good reason. It is very profitable.
世界醉心于死亡和毁灭。我们从来没有想过要和睦相处。理由很充分。这是非常有利可图的。
Conch
What did they expect? It was bought from the Russians. Did India think they were getting a choice piece for the price they paid. But look at it this way, it is probably better then what they had before. Rowboats with paddles.
他们期待什么呢？这是从俄国人那里买来的。印度认为他们付的钱物有所值吗？但是从这个角度来看，它可能比之前拥有的要好一些。比如靠划桨前进的划艇。
Socialists the lowest form
WELL THAT'S WHAT USUALLY RUSSIAN AND CHINESE EQUIPMENT TEND TO BE, NO??!!��
嗯，这不就是俄罗斯和中国军备常见的问题吗？不是吗？
Dibrini
I heard that Tech Support was unable to solve the problem.
我听说技术支持无法解决这个问题。
JamesB
The ship is so successful India finally broke down and began building their own carriers. The ship will probably be scrapped in a couple years and India will write it off ans a disastrous vanity move. It is also a major reason India is opening up to the US and to Britain.
这艘航母终于成功地让印度崩溃，开始建造自己的航母了。这艘航母可能会在几年后报废，印度会把它一笔勾销，这是一个灾难性的虚荣心举动。这也是印度向美国和英国开放的一个主要原因。
Sharone
These people are chisel headed. Remember the Pakistan-US fighter jet that downed the India-Russian fighter jet?
这些人头脑都很清楚。还记得击落印俄战机的巴基斯坦-美国战机吗？
Richard Fitzwell
I heard it wasn't that bad. It came with its fleet of tug boats. So what's the problem, as the Russians say.
我听说这艘航母并没那么糟糕。它和它的拖船舰队一起来了。那么，正如俄罗斯人所说，问题出在哪里呢?
Roy
You get what you pay for! Try France?
一分钱一分货！试试法国货？
Dragon Dawn
China is building 003 and 004, a nuke carrier. At that time, Russia and India love to buy the 001 training but combat-ready 001 Chinese carrier, lots of upgrades done.
中国正在建造003和004型核动力航母。当时，俄罗斯和印度都很喜欢购买001训练舰，但中国的001战备航母做了很多升级。
JNF2
Better late than never, India's current efforts to join forces with Europe is the only option
亡羊补牢，为时不晚，印度与欧洲联手是目前唯一的选择。
mike
Buying a carrier from Russia would be like ordering that taco from Burger King. Poor decision making
从俄罗斯人手里购买航母就像在汉堡王点玉米卷。这纯属决策失误。
ethan
Haven't had that many laughs from a Yahoo-posted story ever!
我还从来没因为雅虎发布的一篇报道这么爆笑过！
