IAF Approves Multi-Million Initiative to Enhance MiG-29 Fleet with Improved Engines and Extended Service Life

A multi-million dollar initiative has been approved by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to acquire improved engines and extend the service life of its fleet of MiG-29 frontline fighter jets, constituting a major step towards improving India's air defence capabilities. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and its Russian partners are working together on this important endeavour.

The authorised deal, estimated to be worth Rs 5,300 crore, will see the production of new, cutting-edge engines for the IAF fleet's current MiG-29UPG aircraft.

In addition, the IAF has started a second life extension programme for its fleet of frontline fighter jets, MiG-29, with the goal of increasing the aircraft's lifespan from 40 to 50 years. In order to maintain the MiG-29 fleet's operational efficacy, this massive project will be carried out at the IAF's No. 11 Base Repair Depot close to Nashik.

The choice of engines for the MiG-29 fleet is an essential aspect of the modernization programme. Although it's unclear if the engines will be the improved RD-33MK (Sea Wasp) engines found in the Indian Navy's MiG-29K ship-borne fighter or the RD-33 series-3 engines currently found on the MiG-29UPG fleet. Both options offer notable improvements in durability and performance.

RD-33MK engine uses more contemporary materials and has better cooling mechanisms in its blade construction, together with improved afterburner thrust and decreased dry weight, it produces 7% more power than the baseline model.

Originally scheduled to begin retirement in 2029, the IAF now intends to retain the Mig-29UPG Squadrons until 2035, when Tejas MkII fighter jets will take their place.

 

[Instant Karma]

HAL should try to use the Mig 29 engines in Tejas.

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

HAL should try to use the Mig 29 engines in Tejas.

Yeah bro, I say HAL should also try to use Bajaj Pulsar's engine on Tejas.

Aekdum indigenous.

I mean, mazaak hi chal raha hai toh, mai bhi thoda contribute kar doon.

 

[Ramsses CDXX]

HAL should try to use the Mig 29 engines in Tejas.

Each of Tejas' F404 and Rafale's M88-2 should go on MiG-29 UPG.

Atlantic East+Atlantic West= India Gets Best.

😺😹

 

[NSR]

The improved and new RD-33MKs engines will give huge boost to the Mig-29UPGs.
Perhaps India should plan to replace the radar with a brand new GaN AESA radar, and all other radars of Tejas series to give it a full offensive and defensive potential.

With engine upgrades, Mig-29UPGs will surely last until 2035 for sure.

India should also order the 21 partially finished Mig-29s with new engines and outfit them with Indian subsystems at Base Depot.

Perhaps India should order 14 more Rafale-Ms to make it 40 and allocate 20 each to two carriers, and then transfer all the 45 Mig-29Ks to IAF to upgrade them to Mig-29UPGs.
This way carrier supply chain will be streamlined to only one fighter.
And IAF will gain 2.5 squadrons and some time to build up fighter inventory.

These steps will alleviate squadron depletion issues for a while.

 

[beencensured]

This may be an opportunity to use the Kaveri engines in the mig-29. Give them also AESA radar, and so on.

 

[Anant]

HAL should try to use the Mig 29 engines in Tejas.

Switching engines is not as easy as it sounds. The RD-33 is considerably larger than the F404 or the Kaveri. You'd have to redesign part of the Tejas to even accommodate the RD-33.

 

[Anant]

Each of Tejas' F404 and Rafale's M88-2 should go on MiG-29 UPG.

Atlantic East+Atlantic West= India Gets Best.

Don't give them ideas, my friend. We are already short of the F404. You never know, but HAL may start using this engine transfer as an excuse to delay Tejas production even more.

 

[Pink Panther]

HAL should try to use the Mig 29 engines in Tejas.

RD-33MK is a decent engine, They could use this engine in Tejas, but they have alter the fuselage that is already frozen, MI-29 are great jets for high altitude Himalayan border and this is go to jet for IAF, hope they do the same with SU-30 swapping AL-41F1 for the old AL-31 engine, we could also license build AL-41F1 engine.

 

[Anil Kumar]

Each of Tejas' F404 and Rafale's M88-2 should go on MiG-29 UPG.

Atlantic East+Atlantic West= India Gets Best.

Yes that's interesting and some mig 29 should also get kaveri engine as second engine for backup

 

[Ramsses CDXX]

Don't give them ideas, my friend. We are already short of the F404. You never know, but HAL may start using this engine transfer as an excuse to delay Tejas production even more.

HAL is not that duffer. Are bhai, aisa nahi hota hai. HAL knows it. GE knows it. UEC knows it. Safran knows it.

 

[Ashutosh]

Not even 10 years and again a new engine upgrade that means the engines are practically unused. Why the h*ll are they going for the engine upgrade now !?

They are pretty much other things too which need to be upgraded:

• Versatility of Mig 29 UPG's mid pylon
• dual rack pylons
• Radar , IRST and other avionics

etc. etc.
Paisa ped meh lag rha hai kya, jab man kiya engine badal liya.
Agar itna hi kharab engine hai ye to fir pehle hi RD33 MK lelete , engine toh available the.....but
How can someone expect maturity and foresightedness from IAF!?

 

[Avada kedavra]

Life extension!! 🤣

Just admits they are forced to fly this junk because they have no replacements.

New engines? Like which one?
Don't think any French British or American engine will fit inside mig 29.
One of govt officials already said no more military deals with russia

 

[bonito]

Not even 10 years and again a new engine upgrade that means the engines are practically unused. Why the h*ll are they going for the engine upgrade now !?

The indigenous replacements will not be ready until 2033 what to do ? But just for 7% improved performance an engine upgrade is too costly

 

[Ashutosh]

The indigenous replacements will not be ready until 2033 what to do ? But just for 7% improved performance an engine upgrade is too costly

That's what I m saying, there are other necessary upgrades but of all the da*n things they found a quite new engine as obsolete.

 

[Anant]

HAL is not that duffer. Are bhai, aisa nahi hota hai. HAL knows it. GE knows it. UEC knows it. Safran knows it.

I was being sarcastic, but yes. While HAL knows that, some bright spark may propose it as an idea. After all, stranger things have happened in this field.

 

[Ranjeet Singh]

We should also buy super cruise capable,Laser weapon pod armed F-21s to supplement Mig-29s as well as F-15EX-II to supplement Super SU-30MKI to dominate Tibet sky !

 

[Deepak Hegde]

We should also buy super cruise capable,Laser weapon pod armed F-21s to supplement Mig-29s as well as F-15EX-II to supplement Super SU-30MKI to dominate Tibet sky !

Patang udaane ka tyohaaar Jan 2024 mein ho gaya. Ab 2025 tak ruk jaa !

 

[Ramsses CDXX]

I was being sarcastic, but yes. While HAL knows that, some bright spark may propose it as an idea. After all, stranger things have happened in this field.

Ohh! My naievity. This damned virtual world❗ Leave an emoji.

 

[Sandeep]

India should definitely swap the engines to the latest RD-33MK standard so that it keeps the jet flying for another 10+ years but probably longer. It will still take a long time to manufacture enough Tejas 2 jets as HAL can only produce a limited amount of jets each year regardless of them increasing the number of jets manufactured at HAL.

So far Tejas 2 hasn't even flown and at best they can only start production from 2030 or later. The first jet to be replaced by Tejas 2 is the Jaguar jets and we still have around 120 single seat fighters in service and it will take at least 10-15 years by HAL to replace all of them completely before they can even start to replace the number of Mig 29 jets in service. Unless the private sector gets involved and help HAL to produce more engines very quickly then it will take a long time under HAL.

India should ask and increase the amount of technology they transfer and have it produced locally entirely. India will get a good deal as Russia needs the money and the RD-33 engine is old and outdated technology to them as they have better engines than that. As it will take over 10+ years before they start replacing the Mig 29 they would probably need to replace the engine twice before it retires completely so there is a large engine order for Russia.