A MiG-29 fighter of the Indian Navy

IAF needs a minimum of 42 squadrons [each comprising 16 -18 fighters], but has only 30. More squadrons will be decommissioned in the coming months. India is expected to get first Rafale fighter jets — the French-made medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) — in September 2019.

Desperately short of fighters, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is moving the government to buy an additional 21 Russian-made MiG-29 ground attack and air-defence aircraft, a senior official with knowledge of the development said.

IAF needs a minimum of 42 squadrons [each comprising 16 -18 fighters], but has only 30. More squadrons will be decommissioned in the coming months. India is expected to get first Rafale fighter jets — the French-made medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) — in September 2019.

The Indian Air Force already has three squadrons of MiG-29. All three are positioned along the western borders. The Indian Navy too uses the naval version of the MiG-29 fighters. They are positioned on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

Earlier, in February 2019, a team of senior Indian Air Force officials rushed to Russia to examine the fleet of the MiG-29 fighters.

“The airframes are ready and Russia has promised to deliver all 21 fighters within 18 months,” the senior IAF official who asked not to be named said.

“The air-frames are ready and available in Russia.”

The 21 MiG-29 are upgraded with a more effective radar system, controls, and avionics systems, dorsal and wing tanks, and air-to-air refuelling making the aircraft 4.5 generation fighters — the ones that first appeared on the scene between 1990 and 2000. It costs Rs 285-300 crore per fighter. “The price is extremely competitive,” another senior defence ministry official said. “The endurance of the aircraft is now nearly 5 hours with the additional fuel tanks.”

The Indian Air Force is also flagging its MiG-29 repair and maintenance facility, based in Ozar, Nashik, to the government as one of the positives.

“We do not need to set up a fresh facility to maintain the fighters. In addition, the Ozar facility has ensured that at least 75% of the fleet is always available for operational deployment,” the second official said.

“Importantly, the IAF already has crew and maintenance staff trained. Induction of the fighters will not require a fresh effort,” the official added.