Indian Air Force In Advanced Talks With Russia To Urgently Acquire 21 MiG-29s To Arrest Depleting Squadron Strength, while the navy has a total of 45 of the MiG 29K/KUB fighters in service, the last of which were ordered in 2010

Faced with a shortage of combat aircraft, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is in advance talks with Russia for an urgent purchase of MiG-29 fighter jets which can be delivered at the earliest, Economic Times has reported.

According to the report, last month IAF had a detailed discussion on the plan to acquire 21 additional aircraft to make a new MiG-29 squadron. The first MiG-29 fighters were purchased in the 1980s.

The acquisition of these Russian fighter planes is expected to cost the Indian exchequer around Rs 6,000 crore, the report cited government sources as saying. Each MiG-29 will include weapon systems, training and other supporting equipment required. Negotiations to this effect are being carried out with Russia under the government-to-government pact.

As per the report, the fighters are not being used but have been kept in a good condition to use them readily again. The plan is to upgraded them to the latest standard to include air-to-ground capabilities, extended range and a new weapons as well as an avionics package.

“A very reasonable price has been shared and we are considering and evaluating the offer. A bilateral meeting was held last month,” sources were quoted in the report as saying.

The talks have come in the wake of depleting strength of the IAF’s squadron from the sanctioned 42 to just 31. Even the delivery of 36 Rafale jets is not expected to make a significant change in the number of squadrons as several legacy MiG-21 and 27 squadrons will be removed from service.

Sources said the fighters have been lying mothballed and the plan is to have them upgraded to the latest standard that would include air-to-ground capabilities, extended range and a new avionics and weapons package. “A very reasonable price has been shared and we are considering and evaluating the offer. A bilateral meeting was held last month,” sources said.

The Air Force currently operates three squadrons of the Russian fighter jets that are being upgraded in-house at its Base Repair Depot. While the multi-role jets have been operating since the 1980s, the air force had signed a Rs 3,850 crore deal in 2008 to upgrade the entire fleet and give it a life extension.

According to the defence ministry, the upgraded aircraft are now being used for routine operations in frontline squadrons and are equipped with the “state-of-the-art avionics, an array of smart air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons and in-flight refuelling”.

The Indian Navy too operates the naval version of the MiG-29, with the jets being the primary weapon of the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier. The navy has a total of 45 of the MiG-29K/KUB fighters in service, the last of which were ordered in 2010.

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