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Posted on 03/13/2009 8:37:58 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
India worried as Russia grounds MiG-29 fleet
14 Mar 2009, 0500 hrs IST, Rajat Pandit, TNN
In a move fraught with major implications for India, Russia has grounded a major chunk of its MiG-29 fleet due to structural defects.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) operates over 60 MiG-29s as "all-weather air-superiority fighters".
Moreover, the Indian Navy is soon to get 16 MiG-29Ks—the fighter's naval variant designed to operate from an aircraft carrier's deck—as part of the original $1.5 billion package deal signed with Russia in 2004 for Admiral Gorshkov.
Sources said a navy team recently returned empty-handed from Russia after the delivery of its 16 MiG-29Ks was postponed because of Moscow's decision to ground its own MiG-29s. Russia apparently grounded its entire fleet of about 300 MiG-29s, codenamed 'Fulcrum' by Nato during the Cold War, after a couple of them crashed in southern Siberia in October-December due to the disintegration of their tail fins.
Subsequently, around 90 MiG-29s have so far been found unsafe to fly during ongoing checks, while 100 have been cleared to take to the skies. Incidentally, Algeria had last year returned its 15 MiG-29s to Russia, holding that their quality was poor, which was strongly contested by Moscow.
This does not augur well for India. As earlier reported by TOI, the IAF is already grappling with a huge dip in the number of its fighter squadrons, down to just 32 from the "sanctioned strength" of 39.5. The IAF hopes to reach its "desired strength" of 42 squadrons only by 2020 or so.
Another reason is that even as India haggles with Russia over its additional $2 billion demand for Gorshkov's refit, the defence ministry has cleared the navy's proposal to buy 29 additional MiG-29Ks for Rs 5,380 crore.
The procurement has been approved because both Gorshkov and the indigenous aircraft carrier, being built at the Cochin Shipyard, will operate MiG-29Ks once the two desperately needed warships are inducted into service in the next decade.
The immediate concern, however, is for the IAF, which operates three MiG-29 squadrons along the western front for air defence purposes. "We have received no word from Russia. We are continuing to fly our MiG-29s from Halwara and Jamnagar," a senior officer said.
The IAF had inducted over 70 twin-engined MiG-29s from 1986 onwards but has lost several of them in crashes, though these fighters are not as accident-prone as the single-engined MiG-21s or the recently phased out MiG-23s.
Interestingly, six IAF MiG-29s are currently in Russia for a mid-life upgrade under a huge $964 million contract signed in March 2008. The other 57 fighters will be retrofitted at the IAF base repair depot at Nashik under transfer of technology from Russia. Apart from extending their life from the present 25 years (2,500 flight hours) to 40 years (3,500 hours), the mid-life extension refit is supposed to turn these air-superiority fighters into far more lethal all-weather multi-role jets.
The upgrade, slated for completion by March 2014, will include the advanced multi-functional Zhuk-ME radar and a new weapon control system. "The package will include state-of-the-art avionics and cockpit ergonomics, as also fuel capacity increase," said an official. "The upgraded MiG-29s will also be capable of beyond-visual-range combat, besides being armed with sophisticated air-to-air missiles, high-accuracy air-to-ground missiles and smart aerial bombs," he added.
Russian made plane is like a shrilanga made car.
The Indians will soon learn that price and VALUE are not the same! Sign them up now for the F-22!
Aren’t reassured that we have a community organizer as CIC?
My 401k (200.5K) can use it.
Looks like the Bat-Plane!
Crappy quality control and maintenance is causing corrosion in critical areas. Good news for future USA contracts with India.
About American goods, maybe u folks haven’t seen this-
New Indian stealth warship halted by US bar on GE
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/new-indian-stealth-warship-halted-by-us-barge/351062/
Not much of a choice-buy crappy Russian stuff which will at least work due to political reliability or buy top of the line American stuff which will end up as hangar queens.
The State Department is an enemy organization. Ge should respond “when you represent America’s interests”, we will heed you.
I remember talking to a member of the Technical Team that helped get the Mig-29’s from Mordorvia to the USA after we bought their fleet to keep them from going to some enemy air force.
He told me the planes were in fairly good shape.. But the engines leaked fuel like a sieve.. and the Mordovians were so poor.. they painted their Russian Supplied Mig-29’s with a mixture of Brown, Green, and white latex house paint for camouflage..
Not one of the 18 were flyable due to one problem or another.. but He did tell me that he admired the Russians for using a thick metal frame in critical places.. but it did make the planes damned heavy to tow.
I read in Aviation Week that India and other MIG-29 buyers are investing in upgrades to keep them flying another 20 years... The Russians are not planning any investments in their own aircraft.
If India and China do NOT get in a major war, we will ALL be lucky! Betwen the two, the USA must support India, however.
Sherwin Williams radar absorbing latex house paint?
ping
LOL!
Major problems for the Migs.
F-16 ping.
Russian hitech equipment is like genuine naugahyde...
The thing about India, or for that matter Pakistan, they both planned on using their airframes as nuclear weapon delivery systems.
Granted that was before they both acquired rocket tech that was “modern” but push comes to shove, and a A Bomb must be dropped...
Heh :)
When it works its pretty good though. Its kind of like John Deere making a space shuttle, but its got some really good aerodynamics without the electronic gizmos we use to achieve the same objective.
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