The Indian Navy inducted MiG-29K supersonic air dominance fighters in 2010 but will retire the entire fleet of around 41 jets from service by 2035 due to severe built quality issues with the jets, which frequently require periodic inspections at regular small intervals.
Retirement Plans: MiG-29K
The MiG-29K has a design life of 6,000 hours and could have served the Indian Navy for another 10-15 years with a life extension program, but the Navy has no plans to extend the fleet’s service life and that the entire fleet will be scrapped after retirement. The Indian Navy plans to replace the Mig-29K fleet with 45 Twin Engine Deck Based Fighters (TEDBF) a “5th generation minus” starting in 2035, but the Navy is unsure the fleet will last beyond 2030 due to airframe defects, discrepancies, and anomalies that will make flying dangerous as it ages.
Also read: Indian Navy To Procure 26 Units Of Rafale-M Naval Fighters
According to media reports, the Indian Navy is interested in acquiring 26 Rafale M fighter jets before 2030 to relieve pressure on the Mig-29K fleet. The agreement could be announced soon, with the contract signed within the next 18 months.
Reason Behind Choosing the Mig-29K
Although India was the type’s second launch client after the Soviet Air Force, the Mig-29K was chosen due to experience with the Indian Air Force, which has been flying 60 or so Mig-29A (later upgraded to UPG) since the late 1980s. The Mig-29K is based on the “basic” MiG-29K airframe that was modified to be used by Soviet aircraft carriers as deck-based fighter aircraft. However, the program came to an abrupt end after the fall of the Soviet Union, and that program was only revived after India was given Admiral Gorshkov allegedly free of charge. However, India still had to pay $2.35 billion for the upgrade and refit of the vessel and an additional US$1 billion for the aircraft and weapons systems.
The MiG-29K was given new life by the Indian Navy, and it later made its way onto the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which at the time was only flying Su-33 Strike fighters. Although the Navy continues to maintain that it was the best option at the time, many people believe that the Su-33, which the Russian Navy ultimately elected to replace in 2009 with the Mig-29K, was a lesser evil.
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