We need few more around Karwar and Vajrakosh. A squad or 2 should be there full time in Vajrakosh perhaps now as we have opened it for operations and P8I being placed there,.
We also need to place another squad or 2 in Andaman and Nicobar too.. Need fixed wing as well as rotary fleet in and around both these places...
@Abingdonboy @Capt.Popeye @MilSpec Whats your take on Mig 29 UPG India operates and the rest getting upgraded in India. 2020 timeline for all upgrades - you think timeframe is limited for all upgradation
Hi,
First off I am a huge fan of Mig29 and you will see a big fulcrum Bias in most related posts.As a teenagers we used to wait for hours outside AFS to catch a glimpse of this bird.
let me mention , Mig29B's in the Indian Arsenal did not have mid air refueling because- IAF specifically asked the soviets for it's removal. IAF did not operate a2a refueling in those days and did not see itself doing so in a long time. Next about the down grade in the 9.12B for non -warsaw pact countries was in IFF and ECM but IAF mig29 within 5 years got an ECM pod. Now they carry the same jammer as the bis and litening pods on recce mission.
From the operational perspective, the best pilots of the lot are chosen for the Mig 29 program and even with SU30 MKI in the horizon, Mig29's are the first on scene in case of emergency. CAP's over trombay high, BARC and Nashik - Mumbai - Pune envelope is flown by Mig 29's. Mig 29 is still the most agile air Superiority fighter in Indian arsenal till date, and has bested blue eyed mirages of IAF in tons of occasions.
On the UPG side of it, this is the correct route for us to go. UPG program is basically three booths in the hangar that will make structural and Avionics changes to the aircraft, and it is a prudent step not to take more than two aircrafts out of the air for upgrades, so yes it will take time, and it is a major upgrade. One thing I felt was, we could have gone with the Mig 35 Zhuk Aesa radar on this upgrade if the integration was possible, but i don't know the specifics of power requirements of the Zhuk Aesa module to comment further on this. UPG's will carry A2G munitions, but highly doubt IAF will ever put KAB 500's and KH29's on the fulcrum.
Mig29K's have been an excellent choice for the Navy, and as far as we can see in procurement's, Indian Navy is in the league of it's own. CAP's now have a Mig29 Su30MKI combination and that has worked pretty well for us, i dont see 2 sqdns for vajrakosh specifically. I am still a big believer in the Mig35 as a cushion for sqdn strength, but it seems that Mig35 has lost the cost benefit it had once. As a stop gap I wouldn't mind a Airforce version of the Mig29K's as MRCA stop gap as the line is still functional, and we have logistics to support the units.
There has been lot of talks about serviceability and operational costs of the 29's but none of the brass want's to go into the root cause behind it. In my opinion if LCA is not making it time, Mig 29 varaints are the right choice for India to go with.