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MiG-29K/KUBs are seen during sea trials aboard Kuznetsov in 2013. (photo: Russian Aircraft MiG) The Russian navy has embarked on a three-year project to modernize its sole aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, or Project 1143.5, with a focus on achieving full operability with the Russian Aircraft MiG-29K/KUB fighter. Although navalized MiGs flew from the carrier during trials in 1989-1991 and during its seventh and most recent deployment to the Mediterranean Sea in late 2016/early 2017, they are yet to be completely integrated with the carrier’s systems. According to the Nevskoye Design Bureau, the ship’s developer, some of the outdated onboard equipment...

Indian Navy MiGs mounted combat air patrols defending a warship against US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets NEW DELHI: When Russia deployed its sole aircraft carrier, the Kuznetsov off the coast of Syria earlier this year, a newly-developed fighter jet onboard the ship had many Western powers operating in the region intrigued, if not concerned. The jet in question was the MiG-29K, a brand new Navalised variant of one of the most successful Russian fighters ever built, the MiG-29, a jet that's been in service with the Indian Air Force since the mid-eighties. But the MiG-29K is a very different beast....

A combination of faults on Russia’s carrier and an unexpected total engine shutdown led to a Russian pilot ditching his fighter in the Mediterranean Sea last week, read a translation of a Monday Russian press report. The Mikoyan MiG-29K that crashed on Nov. 13 was part of a trio of fighters sortied from Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov for operations over Syria, USNI News reported last week. Following the mission – armed reconnaissance runs over targets near Aleppo, USNI News understands — the fighters headed back to the carrier to land, read a translation of a report from Gazeta.ru. “Upon completion...

A fighter assigned to the Russian carrier operating in the Eastern Mediterranean crashed during a landing approach on Sunday, a U.S. defense official confirmed to USNI News on Monday. The Mikoyan MiG-29K was part of a trio of MiGs that had sortied from Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov headed over Syria. At one point, for unknown reasons, one of the fighters turned back to the carrier and crashed while on approach to the carrier, the official said. Russian state media confirmed the crash on Monday afternoon. “An aviation accident with carrier-based fighter MIG-29K occurred during exercise flights as a result of...

A MiG-29K operating from INS Vikramaditya during trials in the Barents Sea in 2013. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov) The Russian navy’s only carrier, the 59,000-metric ton Admiral Kuznetsov, is being modified to enable operations of MiG-29K/KUB strike fighters against targets in Syria. The work is due to be completed within the next few months. During its first combat deployment, the carrier is likely to carry 15 fighters and a dozen Kamov helicopters. The latter may include a few Ka-52K Katran attack prototypes as well as Ka-31 airborne early warning & control rotorcraft. The deployment will last for up to three months,...

The Indian Navy (IN) will bid farewell to its carrier-borne jump-jet the Sea Harrier on May 11 in Goa. It will be a nostalgic moment for those who were associated with this very distinctive fighter aircraft. When the navy's elegant, first-generation Sea Hawk fighter grew old and weary in the late 1970s, having proved its mettle in the 1971 war for Bangladesh, a search was mounted for a suitable replacement. Since most of the contemporary fighters were either unsuitable or unavailable, the future of naval aviation, and of our sole carrier INS Vikrant, looked bleak. Coincidentally, the Royal Navy (RN)...

The Russian Navy’s sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is set to deploy to the Mediterranean Sea with a new air wing configuration. Instead of just the Sukhoi Su-33, Kuznetsov will deploy with a mixed air group with comprised of Flanker-Ds, Su-25UTG Frogfoots and the new Mikoyan MiG-29K Fulcrum-D. “According to plans of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, the Admiral Kuznetsov in September-October will enter the Mediterranean Sea, where it will become a flagship of the Russian Navy's grouping,” a Russian defense ministry source told the TASS News agency. “The aircraft carrier will have on board a mixed...

The aviation branch of the Russian Navy will get more than 20 new ship-borne MiG-29K fighters by the end of 2015, the Defense Ministry’s press service said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The warplanes will serve as a backbone for a new aviation unit within the Northern Feet. "To boost the Navy’s aviation component, the work is underway to equip the Navy Aviation [branch] with MiG-29K. This work began in 2013 and will be finalized in 2015," the press service said in a statement, adding the Navy will get more than 20 MiGs. Russia has been stepping up its presence in the...

The Indian Navy's young and potent MiG-29K fleet gives their long-awaited aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya, a serious punch. India remains committed to simpler ski-jump instead of catapult configured carriers, and what is not great for a fighter's range and payload is fantastic for visuals, as you can see in the video below. In many ways, the MiG-29K is the ultimate comeback kid. The earliest version of this MiG-29 Fulcrum derivative first flew in 1988. After the fall of the Soviet Union there were no funds available to field two carrier fighters for what was then Russia's rusting navy. Mikoyan...

NEW DELHI: A MiG 29K naval combat aircraft has suffered damage while landing on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya during operations in Arabian Sea off the coast of Goa, a Navy official said today. The Russian-origin aircraft had taken off from the Naval airbase INS Hansa in Goa yesterday and was landing on the aircraft when it carried out a 'hard-landing' causing damage to the nose-wheel undercarriage, the official said. The pilot of the aircraft is safe and the further details of the damage are being assessed, they said. The Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry (BoI) into the...

MOSCOW, October 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russian aircraft maker MiG has started flight tests of series-produced MiG-29K/KUB carrier-based fighter jets slated for delivery to the Russian Navy, the company said Tuesday. The Russian Defense Ministry signed a contract with MiG in February 2012 for delivery of 20 MiG-29K single-seat and four MiG-29KUB two-seat carrier-based fighter aircraft. MiG is expected to deliver the first four aircraft by the end of 2013.The aircraft will operate from Russia's sole serving carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, based in Murmansk with the Northern Fleet. The Admiral Kuznetsov currently operates Sukhoi Su-33 naval fighter aircraft. The MiG-29K...

MiG-29K Carrier Trials Complete Flight trials of the MiG-29K on the INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) in the Barents Sea have been completed. Deliveries of the naval version of the fighter to India continue, with the carrier to follow on November 15, and the Russian Navy will soon receive its first MiG-29K. The Russian defense ministry confirmed this month that its only remaining carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, will be modernized to accept MiG-29Ks as well as the Sukhoi Su-25UTG light attack and Su-33 combat aircraft. The latest series of flights, conducted in August and September, used two factory aircraft (a MiG-29KUB...

Navy tones up muscle with MiG-29K fighters Rahul Singh , Hindustan Times Dabolim (Goa), May 11, 2013 Defence minister AK Antony on Saturday commissioned the navy’s first squadron of Russia-built MiG-29K maritime fighters, laying the groundwork for the induction of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (formerly Gorshkov) in December this year. The 16 fighters in the newly-raised Black Panthers squadron will operate from ashore till such time as the 45,000-tonne carrier - currently being refurbished at Sevmash shipyard in Russia - arrives. The navy also plans to deploy these maritime fighters - 29 more have been ordered - on the indigenous...

Russian navy signs for MiG-29K fighters Russia has signed a contract to acquire 20 MiG-29K carrier-based fighters and four MiG-29KUB trainers. MiG confirmed on 29 February that defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov and MiG general director Sergei Korotkov had signed the contract. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Deliveries will be made between 2013 and 2015, with the aircraft to be operated from the Russian navy's lone carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, serving with its Northern Fleet based in Murmansk. The vessel currently operates Sukhoi Su-33 naval fighters. "The signature of this contract is a real step in fulfilling our...

Russian Naval Aviation Chief: The Navy Should Stay With the Current Fighters The Russian Navy could fulfill its current requirements for carrier based fighters with current generation fighters, like this MiG-29KUB, delaying the acquisition of a Fifth Generation Fighter to the next decade. Photo: RAC/MiG “The Russian Naval Aviation is not expecting to replace its carrier-based Su-33 fighters in the current decade. An acquisition of a fifth generation fighter, base on the Sukhoi T-50 or other designs could be considered later in the decade, after the new fighter is proven in land-based service with the Russian Air Force.” Russian news...

Russia and India are expected to sign three contracts in military technical cooperation totaling $4 billion, including retrofitting the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier during Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to India, Vedomosti Russian daily reported. A $2.35-billion contract between Russia's state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the Indian Defense Ministry on refitting the INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov) and the $1.2-billion contract on delivery of MiG-29K/KUB carrier-based fighters will be signed during Putin's visit to India on March 11-12. The Vikramaditya is currently undergoing repairs and refit at the Sevmash shipyard in Russia. The initial refit agreement of $970 million went...

In a strange twist of fate, a former province of the then USSR — Ukraine — is emerging as the likely meeting point for naval aviators from India and China as the two countries try to rapidly acquire the capabilities to build and operate aircraft carriers of the future. A small aircraft carrier training base on the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine is the most sought after training facility for both countries that are planning to induct modern aircraft carriers in the next five years. While India, which has been operating aircraft carriers for the past 50 years, wants to use...

Indian defence minister AK Antony has confirmed that India will indeed order an additional 29 MiG-29K combat jets for the Indian Navy over and above the initial order placed for 16 such fighters. "As per the navy's requirements we will be buying 29 additional fighter aircraft from Russia," Antony told reporters after formally inducting the navy's first four MiG-29Ks. He, however, did mention any time frame for the supply of the fresh batch. The induction ceremony was held at the navy's shore-based establishment at Dabolim, INS Hansa, and was marked by a spectacular fly past performed by the newly inducted...

The sophisticated Russian-made MiG-29K maritime fighter aircraft, which will be based on under-construction aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, were formally inducted into the Navy by Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday.Four MiG 29Ks of the 'Black Panthers' squadron were inducted at a ceremony that was also attended by Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma. India had placed orders for 16 MiG-29K in 2004 along with Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier from Russia , four of which landed in India on December 4,2009. "After induction, the fighter jets would be operated for around two years from the under-development shore-based testing facility (SBTF) at...

Russian Navy to receive new carrier-based fighters Russia's Navy will take delivery of the first MiG-29K (Fulcrum-D) fighters later this year, a Navy official said on Friday. "This year we are planning to buy the first batch of several machines," he said. He did not give an exact figure for the fighters, which are due to be deployed on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier. The Navy earlier said it would buy a total of 24 MiG-29Ks in the next three to four years. The military official said the Navy was currently using MiG-29K carrier-based multirole fighters and the more advanced...