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747-237 · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 4:34 pm Post subject: Russia offers India 21 x MiG-29s

https://theprint.in/defence/russia-to-the-rescue-of-iaf-offers-21-mig-29s-to-boost-strength/191328/

Russia to the rescue of IAF, offers 21 MiG-29s to boost strength

12 February, 2019

Faced with a depleting strength, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is in talks with Russia to buy 21 MiG-29 fighter aircraft that are lying with Moscow since the late 1980s.

Top IAF sources told ThePrint that the Russians will upgrade the aircraft to the standard that India wants.

“The price offered by the Russians is good. Even though it was built at the same time when we bought the earlier MiG-29 squadrons, they have never flown,” a source said.

India currently has three squadrons of MiG-29 — a twin-engine single-seat air superiority fighter aircraft. One squadron comprises 18 aircraft.

These aircraft are currently being upgraded in-house by the IAF.

“The Russians will upgrade the 21 aircraft to the standard of the upgraded ones here. We are in talks to see how and at what price the deal can be done,” a source said.

Sources said this also rules out any additional orders for Su-30 MKI to the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) except for the nine aircraft that the IAF might order to replace the ones that crashed.

A high-level IAF team was in Russia last month to check on the fighter aircraft and it has submitted a favourable report to the Air Headquarters.

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Aseem · Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ

phew!
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iah87 · Member Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 2566

In light of the tensions between India and Pak, I would not trust any aircraft except the ones made by US companies.

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

PAL@YWG · Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 7:23 pm Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 9:14 am Post subject:

https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-iaf-to-buy-additional-sukhoi-su-30-mkis-and-mig-29-fighters-from-russia-2770712

IAF to buy additional Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs and MiG-29 fighters from Russia

Jul 11, 2019

Indian Air Force (IAF) is eyeing 18 more Sukhoi Su-30 MKI multirole fighters and 21 Mikoyan MiG-29 air superiority jets from Russia to add extra teeth to its arsenal, and tackle the twin threats of Pakistan and China. IAF already has a sanctioned strength of 272 Su-30 MKIs and also operates 69 MiG-29 UPGs.

IAF requires 42 squadrons to be effective during a two-front war with China and Pakistan but is currently operating with only 31 as it retires the older MiG-21 and MiG-27 aircraft. The additional Su-30 MKI and MiG-29 jets will add two more squadrons to the IAF fighter fleet.

Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Deputy Director Vladimir Drozhzhov on Monday (July Cool

said in Moscow that India has placed a request for an additional 18 Su-30 MKI kits and over 20 modernised MiG-29 aircraft. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will assemble the Sukhoi twinjet multirole air superiority fighters from the kits at its Ozar plant in Maharashtra's Nashik while the MiG will come in flyaway condition.
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747-237 · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:55 am Post subject:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/amid-lac-stand-off-india-approves-purchase-of-fighter-jets-missiles-worth-rs-38900-crore/articleshow/76756979.cms

India approves purchase of fighter jets, missiles worth Rs 38,900 crore

Jul 2, 2020

With India prepared for the long haul in the border confrontation with China, the defence ministry on Thursday approved several capital procurement projects worth Rs 38,900 crore. They include 33 new fighter jets, 300 long-range land-attack cruise missiles and 250 air-to-air missiles.

The projects will take at least two to three years, if not more, to translate into actual inductions into the armed forces but they signal the government’s renewed thrust on building military capabilities for the two active borders with China and Pakistan despite budgetary constraints.

The defence acquisitions council (DAC), chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, approved procurement of 21 more MiG-29s and 12 Sukhoi 30 MKIs from Russia. The 21 MiG-29s, along with a further upgrade of 59 such jets already with IAF to "ensure similar standards across the fleet", will cost Rs 7,418 crore.

The 12 additional Sukhois to be licensed produced by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics, along with upgraded electronic warfare suites and additional supplies and spares for the fleet, in turn will come for Rs 10,730 crore.

TOI had reported in February last year that the procurement of the 33 additional fighters - the 21 MiG-29 airframes are lying in a mothballed condition in Russia - was being finalized by the IAF. The force has so far inducted over 250 Sukhois of the 272 originally contracted from Russia for well over $12 billion, with the bulk of them rolling out of HAL facilities.

Both MiG-29s and Sukhois are currently deployed at forward air bases along the Line of Actual Control due to the ongoing military face-off with China. The progressive induction of 36 French Rafales from next month onwards will of course be a tremendous operational boost for IAF, which is grappling with just 30 squadrons (each has 16 to 18 jets) when at least 42 are required to handle the collusive China-Pakistan threat.

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