China border row: MiG-29K jets may be moved to Northern air bases

Amidst the ongoing stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh, India plans to deploy its MiG-29K maritime fighter aircraft at an Indian Air Force base in the northern sector for operational deployment.

“It is being planned to deploy the MiG-29K fighter aircraft at an IAF base in the northern sector. They might be used for carrying out operational flying in the eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control,” news agency ANI reported quoting government sources.

India currently has a fleet of more than 40 MiG-29K, purchased from Russia, out of which 18 operate from India’s lone aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, whereas the rest is earmarked for India’s second aircraft carrier, being constructed at Cochin Shipyard.

The second squadron is based in the Hansa naval station in Goa.

The Russian origin maritime fighter has the capability to undertake the missions on land and the pilots are suitably trained too. But the officials are tight lipped on their deployment plans.

Sources said MiG-29Ks would replace the IAF jets in some of the bases in western India as the Air Force planes had moved up north. Interestingly, this happened days after the IAF stationed its Jaguar strike jet at Car Nicobar at Andaman and Nicobar.

Earlier, Indian Navy’s P8I maritime surveillance aircraft was used for reconnaissance of the areas close to the LAC – India’s disputed boundary with China – in eastern Ladakh. The same aircraft was used for spying during the Doklam crisis too.

The use of naval assets in the northern theatre was by Gen Bipin Rawat, the Chief of the Defence Staff, who had been tasked by the central governments to streamline the operational commands of armed forces and optimise the use of the weapon platforms.

In his plans, Gen Rawat proposed introduction of naval components in theatre commands (land) that would be operated by the Army and IAF.

“Can we not bring some of the naval fighter jets to the land borders? There is not much of a difference between sea flying and desert flying," Gen Rawat had stated referring to possible desert operations by the naval fighter aircraft.