<p>The jets arrived in the country on December 4, celebrated as Navy Day. “The four jets, in a knocked-down condition, were delivered yesterday (Friday) by an AN-132 aircraft. It will be a while before the jets are assembled and start flying,” an Indian Navy official said but refused to divulge the present location of the aircraft.<br /><br />The jets were purchased by the Indian Navy as part of a $1.5 billion deal signed with Russia in January 2004 for the Admiral Gorshkov. Of this $740 million was meant for the aircraft and the balance for the refitting of the carrier. The Russians have now upped the price to between $2.2 billion and $2.9 billion and negotiations on this are currently underway.<br /><br />The navy will eventually be getting 12 MiG-29K single-seater aircraft and four MiG-29KUB twin-seat trainer aircraft, some in flyaway condition. The trainer version is similar to the single-seater but with a slightly reduced operational range.<br /><br />The navy has named its MiG-29K squadron the “Black Panthers”. As the 45,000 tonne Kiev class aircraft carrier, is scheduled to be delivered by 2012, the jets will undertake shore-based sorties from Goa.<br /><br />The contract for the jets also stipulates the procurement of hardware for pilot training and aircraft maintenance, including flight simulators and interactive ground and sea-based training systems.<br /><br />The aircraft features a fully digitised glass cockpit, improved engine protection against ingestion of foreign particles like birds, a multi-mode radar and increased range. The contract ensures that the navy gets the entire spectrum of services, including a full mission simulator.<br /><br />The MiG-29K will provide aerial cover the carrier’s battle group, acquire air superiority and destroy sea-borne and ground-based targets with guided high-precision weapons in any weather conditions.<br /><br /></p>
<p>The jets arrived in the country on December 4, celebrated as Navy Day. “The four jets, in a knocked-down condition, were delivered yesterday (Friday) by an AN-132 aircraft. It will be a while before the jets are assembled and start flying,” an Indian Navy official said but refused to divulge the present location of the aircraft.<br /><br />The jets were purchased by the Indian Navy as part of a $1.5 billion deal signed with Russia in January 2004 for the Admiral Gorshkov. Of this $740 million was meant for the aircraft and the balance for the refitting of the carrier. The Russians have now upped the price to between $2.2 billion and $2.9 billion and negotiations on this are currently underway.<br /><br />The navy will eventually be getting 12 MiG-29K single-seater aircraft and four MiG-29KUB twin-seat trainer aircraft, some in flyaway condition. The trainer version is similar to the single-seater but with a slightly reduced operational range.<br /><br />The navy has named its MiG-29K squadron the “Black Panthers”. As the 45,000 tonne Kiev class aircraft carrier, is scheduled to be delivered by 2012, the jets will undertake shore-based sorties from Goa.<br /><br />The contract for the jets also stipulates the procurement of hardware for pilot training and aircraft maintenance, including flight simulators and interactive ground and sea-based training systems.<br /><br />The aircraft features a fully digitised glass cockpit, improved engine protection against ingestion of foreign particles like birds, a multi-mode radar and increased range. The contract ensures that the navy gets the entire spectrum of services, including a full mission simulator.<br /><br />The MiG-29K will provide aerial cover the carrier’s battle group, acquire air superiority and destroy sea-borne and ground-based targets with guided high-precision weapons in any weather conditions.<br /><br /></p>