INS Vikramaditya may have been snooped by NATO allies

NEW DELHI: Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya may have been snooped by a surveillance aircraft belonging to one of the NATO countries when it was undergoing sea trials in Russia.

The aircraft carrier may have been snooped by an American-origin P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft belonging to the NATO nations, sources said.

They, however, said the warship was with the Russian Navy when the P-3C Orion flew close to it during the sea trials.

INS Vikramaditya has generated a lot of interest in the global navies and a lot of them, including both friends and adversaries, want to know about its capabilities and strengths.

The warship was handed to the Indian Navy on Saturday at the Sevmash shipyard Russia after a delay of more than five years.

The warship, which is without any air defence missile system, is being escorted by a group of frigates and tanker ships to bring it here at its home base in Karwar in Karnataka.

The escorting warships are also expected to protect it form any snooping attempt and other such measures.