India Awards Russia Billion Dollar MiG-29 Upgrade

www.defense-aerospace.com...

NEW DELHI --- India has awarded Russia a 965-million-dollar contract to upgrade its multi-role MiG-29 warplanes, officials said on Monday. The two post-Cold War allies Saturday signed the deal to extend the life of India's fleet of 70 MiG-29 jets another 15 years from their current 25 years, an air force official said.

"The project entails two to three years and only six of them would be re-fitted in Russia while the work on the remaining squadrons would be carried out by them at Indian bases," he said asking not to be named.

So this is what india is doing for the carrier - relifing the MiG-29`s to the latest standard - still they are nice aircraft

I believe the Mig-29K's meant for the carrier have already been delivered. This upgrade must be for the air force, not the navy.

Well.

Not exactly..

The IAF has 69 MiG29s : MiG 29As,Cs and UBs. They (some of them?) have recently(last decade) undergone an upgrade for radar,engines, and missiles. They now seem to undergoing a further upgraded to increase lifespan. Not sure what technical upgrades that will involve; Maybe a its an extension of the radar,missile, engine upgrade across the entire IAF MiG-29 fleet.

The Indian Navy has ordered 16 MiG-29K aircraft, which in most aspects are very similar to the MiG-35 (save engines and AESA).
These will start delivery next year onwards.

The most significant items on this upgrade is a new radar Zhuk-M and in flight re-fueling capability

reply to post by chinawhite


I think its the full SMT upgrade package - which would give the indians experience of the latest russian kit and a taste of what the -35 can do.

the SMT package is actually darn good - RAM coatings are included and basically it takes the 20 year old `A` model and makes it the latest version, glass cockpit more fuel , better engines , better radar etc.

and its also the version iran have now got.

www.globalsecurity.org...


Throw

img8.exs.cx...

^^ 1 x MiG-29SMT in service with Iran

Iff this deal is done good and the Russians succeed in doing it, then they just might buy the MiG 35 and espicialy iff the Indians like the Mig 29K.

Just another step closer to supremacy off India over Pakistan.