Indian Navy inducts the MiG-29K

[Ruag]

Navy to be equipped with MiG-29K jets

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy’s long wait to induct new MiG-29 K combat jets will finally be over later this month as the first batch of four fighters arrives. The jets, ordered in 2004, were meant to operate from the new aircraftcarrier INS Vikramaditya, earlier known as Admiral Gorshkov, undergoing refitment at a Russian shipyard.
The carrier operations of MiG-29s will take some time to realise as INS Vikramaditya’s delivery has been delayed substantially owing to dispute over the price of the ship. Till then, the MiG-29 K/KUB fighter jets would operate from the Naval aviation base at Goa.
The base already operates Sea Harriers. The ageing Sea Harriers had worked for long without a carrier.

Navy’s sole aircraft carrier INS Viraat is undergoing routine maintenance. The ship is likely to be back in service soon.
The Navy has already named the MiG-29 K squadron ‘Black Panther.’ The pilots of this squadron were trained in carrier operations in the US and also in Russia. The carrier operations are one of the most complicated and require comprehensive training of pilots.
The Naval pilots learned deck landing in the US. They were further trained to fly MiG-29s in Russia. The training was held on a Russian carrier where all aspects of the new aircraft were tested before taking the delivery.

India had ordered 16 jets in 2004 as part of the Gorshkov deal of around $1.2 billion. The price of the contract is expected to be doubled as the Russians are asking more for the ship. Out of the 16, four will be MiG-29 KUB, a twin seater trainer aircraft. The rest would be single-seater MiG-29 K.

The aircraft is capable of performing multi-role functions of providing air defence cover to warships and also take part in attack and air space domination roles by taking on air to ground targets. They will be equipped with advanced weapon systems and avionics.
The MiG- 29 Ks are the maritime version of the MiG-29s which are being flown by the Indian Air Force primarily for air defence purposes.
The IAF’s MiG-29 fleet is undergoing upgrading. The aircraft is in the last leg of its life span and needs to undergo drastic changes.

Navy to be equipped with MiG-29K jets

 

[Ruag]

The MiG 29Ks are definitely one of the most beautiful birds to grace Indian skies.

Below are pics taken during Indian Navy's MiG 29K trials in Russia:

With its deadly range of missiles -

The 'Black Panther' Squadron logo on the MiG 29K is clearly visible in the image below -

​

 

[Chanakyaa]

Majestic and Superb Pics...
Let Gorshkov and IAC arrive, IN will be a Might.

 

[grey boy 2]

Majestic and Superb Pics...
Let Gorshkov and IAC arrive, IN will be a Might.

Buddy, Yes, MIG-29k looks good, but personally, i like the flankers

family better. Your take ?

 

[Chanakyaa]

Buddy, Yes, MIG-29k looks good, but personally, i like the flankers

family better. Your take ?

Flankers are Excellent, but i was actually referring to Carrier capable Fighters.

Since India will not Go for Su33 ( carrier Capable ), Mig 29K is a very developed , Mature and Effective solution.

I read that China has/going to have Su33 is it true ?

 

[Iggy]

Buddy, Yes, MIG-29k looks good, but personally, i like the flankers

family better. Your take ?

Atlast we agree on some thing... yes i too think the flankers are better..

 

[grey boy 2]

Flankers are Excellent, but i was actually referring to Carrier capable Fighters.

Since India will not Go for Su33 ( carrier Capable ), Mig 29K is a very developed , Mature and Effective solution.

I read that China has/going to have Su33 is it true ?

No, buddy, you misunderstood me, i was only referring to looks only,

Not doubting the ability of Mig 29K .

Last time i check Su33 still under neigotiation. No further news yet.

 

[Chanakyaa]

No, buddy, you misunderstood me, i was only referring to looks only,

Not doubting the ability of Mig 29K .

Last time i check Su33 still under neigotiation. No further news yet.

Oh Man .. Looks !!!
Flankers are Far More sexy than ..... u get it. Im with u.

Look Wise They r Kings. No Exceptions.
Personally, I haven't seen a more better visually appealing 4.5 Gen a/c. Than Flankers.
PAK FA, derived from Sukhoi May have some Surprises.

 

[Chanakyaa]

Killer Looks !!!

 

[Srinivas]

MIGs are light weight and are more suitable for Aircraft carriers than Flankers which weigh more. This is one of the reason IN choose MIGs over Flankers

 

[Chanakyaa]

MIGs are light weight and are more suitable for Aircraft carriers than Flankers which weigh more. This is one of the reason IN choose MIGs over Flankers

Very True.

Reasons for IN chosing MiG over Sukhoi 27k
Mig29k is 18,000kg aircraft with full load
Su27k is 34,000kg aircraft with full load
Deck of Admiral Gorshkov being offered to india is not strong enuf to bear the weight of heavy Sukhois. Moreover huge size of Su will mean fewer aircraft can be carried on board. So IN favored MiG-29k lightweight aircraft.

 

[amunhotep]

India's plight: A carrier running out of jets; fighters without their carrier

Sheer lack of long-term strategic planning, coupled with a dose of bad luck, has landed India in a peculiar situation. If it did not expose a gaping hole in the country's military capabilities, the predicament would have actually been quite ludicrous.

On one hand, it has an ageing but newly-refurbished aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, which is fast running out of fighters which can operate from its deck.

On the other, it's soon going to induct another type of maritime fighters but no suitable carrier to operate them from. Navy will get Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov only by early-2013 but will begin inducting its MiG-29Ks later this month.

Sources say the first four of the 16 MiG-29Ks contracted along with the 44,570-tonne Gorshkov, in the initial $1.5-billion package deal inked with Russia in January 2004 after a decade of negotiations, will arrive in India in the "last week of November''.

This comes at a time when the 50-year-old INS Viraat is finally back in action after an 18-month-long comprehensive refit to increase its longevity as well as upgrade its weapon and sensor packages.

But, as reported by TOI earlier, the 28,000-tonne old warhorse is left with only 11 of its Sea Harrier jump-jets. Navy inducted 30 of the British-origin Sea Harriers, which take off from the angled ski-jump on INS Viraat but land vertically on its deck, but has lost over half of them in accidents since mid-1980s.

India had shown interest in buying some more Sea Harriers from British Royal Navy, which replaced the fighters in 2006 with Harrier-GR9s, some time ago but the deal did not ultimately materialise.

Unlike the `unconventional' Sea Harriers, which are V/STOL (vertical and/or short take-off and landing) jets, MiG-29Ks are `conventional' fighters and hence cannot operate from small carriers like Viraat.

The ongoing refit of the partly-burnt Gorshkov, at Sevmash Shipyard in North Russia, in fact, includes removal of missile launchers on the bow to build a ski-jump at a 14.3 degree angle as well as three arrestor wires on the angled deck for MiG-29Ks.

"MiG-29Ks, which are `tail-hookers', will land on Gorshkov with help of arrestor wires in STOBAR (short take-off but arrested recovery) configuration. They cannot land vertically like Sea Harriers,'' said an official.

Incidentally, India is going to order 29 more MiG-29Ks for around $1.1 billion since the fighters will operate from both Gorshkov, rechristened INS Vikramaditya, as well as the long-delayed 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier being built at Cochin Shipyard, which should roll out by 2014-2015.

India and Russia, of course, have to still settle their bitter wrangling over the huge jump in Gorshkov's refit cost. "Its earlier $974 million refit cost will go up to $2.5 billion or so... The negotiations are still in progress. But Gorshkov will come to us by 2012-2013,'' said the official.

Consequently, Navy will have to wait till then to undertake carrier deck operations of MiG-29Ks. In the interim, naval pilots will have to fly the MiG-29Ks from only the shore-based airbase INS Hansa in Goa.


here is the link



India's plight: A carrier running out of jets; fighters without their carrier - India - The Times of India

 

[Kuuba]

wow, so rich India is. envy...

 

[Iggy]

Very True.

I read it some where that Su-33 has to reduce its weapons capacity to same as MIG 29 due to short take offs from the carrier..Is there any truth in it?

 

[Im_a_bud_bud]

How does this compare with multi-role fighters of other nations? Is this seen as an "advanced fighter" of India, or is it more mediocre?