"All issues such as price negotiations and evaluation have been cleared and spadework done and it just requires the cabinet's clearance," Commander Vinay Garg told AFP.

The cabinet is expected to review the planned purchase by the end of May.

The navy already has three such ships, which get the stealth tag because they are difficult to track by radar.

The three Russian frigates awaiting cabinet approval would be armed with supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles. The weapons are jointly built by India and Russia.

In addition, the naval spokesman said, Indian dockyards have been contracted to build three of the 4,000-ton stealth frigates as part of the 137-ship navy's ambitions to build locally rather than import.

"The project was launched three years ago and the first ship is likely to be launched in 2008," the spokesman added.

The navy has also awarded contracts to build 33 other vessels to state-owned shipbuilders and has embarked on a mission to build an aircraft carrier.

Military officials said the navy was also shopping for 30 long-range helicopters to replace its British-built Sea Kings and was awaiting an offer from the United States to lease two anti-submarine P-3 Orion aircraft.

It is also awaiting delivery of a refurbished Soviet-era aircraft carrier from the Russians, a wide-bodied Ilyushin-76 aircraft reconfigured for maritime surveillance and six French Scorpene submarines. The submarines would cost 1.2 billion dollars.

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