MiG-29K service center for Indian Navy next year

[RPK]

Defence News - MiG-29K service center for Indian Navy next year


The Indian Navy can expect a full service centre for its fleet of MiG-29Ks next year as part of contract provisions. Last year, RAC-MiG signed offset agreements with Indian private firm Basant Aerospace worth $55 million.

The Indian Navy can expect a full service center for its fleet of MiG-29Ks next year as part of contract provisions. Last year, RAC-MiG signed offset agreements with Indian private firm Basant Aerospace worth $55 million, including a $43 million to establish a service center in India dedicated to restoring and repair of the MiG-29K's primary Phazotron-NIIP Zhuk-ME radar, and a $12 million deal for a service center dedicated to repair of equipment for the upgraded MiG-29K in India.

The deals include warehouses and an uninterrupted supply chain of spare parts. The Indian Navy received seven more MiG-29K/KUB jets in 2013 towards a total fleet on order of 45 aircraft based out of Goa's INS Hansa naval air station.

MiG Director General Sergei Korotkov also recently revealed that upgrade kits for the first six MiG-29K fighters had been handed over to the Indian Navy for on-site upgradation at Goa as part of a deal signed in 2009. The other aircraft will be upgraded locally under transferred technology as part of the original contract. Upgradation of the first six aircraft has already begun and making steady progress.

 

[janon]

What kind of upgrade kits are being mentioned in the last paragraph?

I think it may be misreporting - the deal signed in 2009 was to upgrade the IAF's mig 29s.

 

[sancho]

What kind of upgrade kits are being mentioned in the last paragraph?

I think it may be misreporting - the deal signed in 2009 was to upgrade the IAF's mig 29s.

Earlier article:
MiG 29K service centre for Indian Navy next year - SP's Naval Forces

Seems to be correct about upgrades of the K's, which indeed is interesting. I first thought they meant the integration of foreign systems, which is done in India, but they are talking about kits provided by the Russians, so must have to do with the Russian systems.

 

[janon]

Earlier article:
MiG 29K service centre for Indian Navy next year - SP's Naval Forces

Seems to be correct about upgrades of the K's, which indeed is interesting. I first thought they meant the integration of foreign systems, which is done in India, but they are talking about kits provided by the Russians, so must have to do with the Russian systems.

Actually it's the same article, word for word. Reproduced in defence news with credit (They have mentioned the source as SP guide publications.)

I still think the original reporter may have been confused between the deal for upgrading the IAF's migs, and the navy's Ks. It seems too much of a coincidence that the IAF deal was also struck in 2009, with six upgraded in Russia, and the rest in India by transfer of kits.

Not to mention the fact that it seems rather bewildering that we would be signing an upgradation contract (presumably preceeded by long negotiations) in 2009, when we only received the very first aircraft in December that year. Upgrading an aircraft even before we start using it?

 

[sancho]

Actually it's the same article, word for word. Reproduced in defence news with credit (They have mentioned the source as SP guide publications.)

I still think the original reporter may have been confused between the deal for upgrading the IAF's migs, and the navy's Ks. It seems too much of a coincidence that the IAF deal was also struck in 2009, with six upgraded in Russia, and the rest in India by transfer of kits.

Not to mention the fact that it seems rather bewildering that we would be signing an upgradation contract (presumably preceeded by long negotiations) in 2009, when we only received the very first aircraft in December that year. Upgrading an aircraft even before we start using it?

The Mig 29K for IN made it's first flight afaik in 2007, so quiet a long time ago and depending on what demands IN had wrt systems, not everything might had been available in the initial batch and wrt to the figure:

February 19, 2010

Mig-29Ks Inducted !!

The first batch of four MiG-29Ks and two MiG-29KUBs were inducted this morning in the presence of the Defence Minister A K Antony and the Russian Ambassador, in INS Hansa, Goa.

Chindits: Mig-29Ks Inducted !!

 

[janon]

The Mig 29K for IN made it's first flight afaik in 2007, so quiet a long time ago and depending on what demands IN had wrt systems, not everything might had been available in the initial batch and wrt to the figure:



Chindits: Mig-29Ks Inducted !!

And we are going to get upgrade kits for fighters that haven't even been delivered yet? Why not simply ask the OEM to include them during manufacture, instead of taking it apart after it gets here and installing them, which is a very expensive affair? Not to mention the expense of sending specialists to Russia to learn the process. No way, I'm pretty sure that it is a misreporting.

When I buy a car, it doesn't make sense for me to buy the air conditioner seperately, and go train myself at the factory to dismantle the car and install it, and then do that after they make it and send it to me. If something was not available when the first 6 arrived, then those 6 would be sent to Russia to be retrofitted. But they won't continue making the non upgraded ones right now and then have us install upgrade kits after delivery.

BTW, the chindits report is from 2010. So a contract for upgrading fighters that would be inducted in 2010 just sounds too bewildering.

 

[sancho]

And we are going to get upgrade kits for fighters that haven't even been delivered yet?

That's why I initialy thought they meant the foreign parts, which will be integrated in India only. Also it doesn't say that the upgrade kits are for the one that are not delivered, it just says the "others" and we have inducted more than a squad till now right?
As I said, it's not an upgrade of the fighter as such, like the IAF does it with their older Migs to extend the life, but can be related by limited capabilities of the "initial batch / squad" and could include specialised radar modes for example. We know that the Zhuk AE was not a useful alternative for the Mig 29Ks, because it is far too premature and included only A2A modes so far. The addition of weapons like the Kh 35 also was done only in the recent years, which also could be a reason for minor upgrades required.

BTW, the chindits report is from 2010. So a contract for upgrading fighters that would be inducted in 2010 just sounds too bewildering.

To show that the figure 6 is not necessary a hint on IAFs fighters only and keep in mind that the initial batch of Su 30s also were planned to be upgraded just a few years after delivery, when the custom MKI package was fixed and under production.

If they simply might had mixed up Mig 29UPG with Mig 29K I would agree and blame the author too, but they are very specific in the article, that they handed the kits over to the Indian Navy and for the upgradation in Goa, while the IAF Mig upgrade will be done at HAL in Nasik. So we simply can't rule it out so easily.