Upgraded MiG-29K Set to Debut at Aero India 2025 with Indigenous Mission Computer and Advanced Weaponry

The Indian Navy's MiG-29K fighter jet, a cornerstone of its naval air arm, is poised to make a striking appearance at Aero India 2025, taking place from February 10 to 14 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station.

This year, the MiG-29K will not only be on static display but will also showcase its impressive upgrades, highlighting advancements in its armament and avionics suite.

Since its induction in 2010, the MiG-29K has been instrumental in extending India's maritime air power, operating from aircraft carriers like INS Vikramaditya and the newly commissioned INS Vikrant. Its ability to perform a variety of roles, from air superiority to anti-ship warfare, makes it a crucial asset for the Indian Navy.

Aero India 2025 will mark a special occasion for the MiG-29K, as it will be displayed with a suite of newly integrated systems and weapons, underscoring the Indian Navy's commitment to modernization and self-reliance in defence technology:

• Enhanced Avionics: The upgraded MiG-29K boasts a new glass cockpit with advanced navigation and guidance systems, improving situational awareness and air-to-ground combat capabilities.
• New Armament: The aircraft has been integrated with a range of indigenous and international weaponry, including the Astra missile series and various smart bombs and missiles, significantly boosting its multirole capabilities.
• Indigenous Mission Computer: A major highlight is the integration of a new mission computer developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This powerful computer replaces the previous system, which Russia declined to upgrade or provide source codes for, emphasizing India's push for self-reliance in defence technology. The new mission computer enables the integration of indigenous missiles, precision-guided munitions (PGMs), and stand-off weapons (SOWs), further enhancing the MiG-29K's combat prowess.

The upgraded MiG-29K's debut at Aero India 2025 is a testament to India's growing capabilities in naval aviation and its commitment to indigenous defence technology. These advancements ensure that the MiG-29K remains a potent and versatile asset for the Indian Navy, capable of meeting the challenges of modern maritime warfare.

 

[sanket]

That's what I have been always saying for the past 3 years about upgrading the MiG-29. Then why not the Mirage-2000, which is falling behind compared to the MiG-29? Next will be Uttam AESA radar integration on the MiG-29 plus Rudram trials & integration. In the future, BrahMos-NG integration will make it a very potent fighter jet with an indigenous anti-ship missile with 150km to 200km range.

 

[Taus Melek]

Here we go again, another upgrade programme to keep this piece of junk flying.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

The MiG-29K was never designed as a naval fighter from the ground up. Hence, there are a lot of reliability problems that are common among Russian aircraft. Rafale and F-18 were designed from the ground up as naval fighters, and hence all the unique problems relating to the salty corrosive atmosphere on a carrier, as well as the controlled crash landing and stresses generated on the fighter, are taken care of from the design stage itself. Redesigning a naval platform to a land-based one is easy, not vice versa.

The MiG-29 was redesigned with larger folding wings for slower approach speeds, a more powerful engine derivative of the RD-33 was installed, an FBW system with HOTAS was incorporated, etc., stronger undercarriage, new avionics and radar, etc. On paper, everything was ok. There were 2 crashes in Russia while testing as well. So far, 5 MiG-29Ks have been lost to various reasons, with fatalities as well, in Indian service.

The availability of the fighter was a horrendous 15 to 40% initially! There were so many engine-related problems with design defects. A lot of them had to be withdrawn. The Navy was shocked, but we could not do anything as this was the only naval fighter available to India at that time. Actually, India was the only service to fly the MiG-29K; the Russians did not induct it in large numbers due to various reasons...we were the guinea pigs.

Lesson learned... In fact, the Russians learned from us the practical stuff that happens on extended service of the MiG-29K. Any amount of avionics or other increments can do so much only and not improve the platform as such.