New Delhi: Asserting that early elections would not slacken the pace of modernisation currently underway in the Armed Forces, Defence Minister George Fernandes today (Jan 16, 2004) said Government would go ahead with the acquisition of some more major weapons systems.

"I don't think early elections will in any way come in the way of procurements," he told reporters expressing optimism that the $ 1.6 billion deal with Russia for acquiring the 45,000 tonne aircraft carrier 'Admiral Gorshkov' would go through during the upcoming visit of his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov.

Fernandes said there were a number of other major armament deals in the pipeline, which were to be cleared before the close of the current financial year, and these should come through.

About the SOS sent by his ministry to the Finance Ministry for allocation of more funds for capital outlay, Fernandes, who was talking to reporters after giving away prizes at the NCC investiture in New Delhi, said, "The Finance Minister has been very generous".

The Defence Minister said Finance Minister Jaswant Singh had assured him that there would not be any kind of shortfall as far as country's Defence needs were concerned.

Elaborating on the Gorshkov deal, Fernandes said, "it should be through".

He said all the work that had to be done preceding the signing of the contract had been completed and the contract sent to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for clearance.