New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to place an order with Russia for 21 twin-engine MiG-29 jets by December, ThePrint has learnt.

Of the 1980s vintage, the jets are no longer in production but 21 airframes built then remain in Russia. Top sources in the security and defence establishment said the jets purchased by India will be upgraded to the latest version before they arrive here.

The purchase comes as the IAF faces a depleting force strength due to its fleet of legacy aircraft and budgetary constraints.

The IAF, the sources said, will first place orders for the MiG-29, and then go in for another 12 Su-30 MKI, which are being manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under licence from Russia.

The IAF is also expected to soon place a long-pending order for the indigenous 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark 1A.

India and Russia have been in talks for the purchase of more MiG-29 jets since last year.

The Mig-29 airframes have been lying with Moscow since the late 1980s but have never been flown. The sources said a study conducted on the airframes had found them in good condition.

“The airframes are in good quality. They will now fit all the equipment and other systems as part of the deal,” the source quoted above said.

Also Read: IAF gets night-flying capability at Leh for MiG-29s, force sees it as a ‘game-changer’

Dwindling numbers

The decision to purchase the aircraft comes amid a dwindling fighter aircraft strength in the IAF and budgetary constraints that make it difficult for the force to get new aircraft in the numbers it wants.

While the sanctioned strength of the IAF is 42 squadrons of fighters, the current strength is 30.

At his annual press conference Monday, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria said even if all acquisition plans are put in motion with strict timelines, he would be happy if the strength reaches 36-37 squadrons in the next decade.

He was also very candid about the challenge of budgetary constraints, saying their effect may not be felt immediately but will be in the future.

“Budgetary constraints will be there. It is not affecting us today. It will have an effect in due course if we don’t put the contracts in place,” he had said.

India currently has three squadrons of the MiG-29 — a twin-engine single-seat air superiority fighter aircraft. One squadron comprises 18 aircraft and all of them are currently being upgraded in-house by the IAF.

The aircraft is undergoing structural as well as avionics upgrade, besides being equipped with a new weapons package.

With the new air-to-air refuelling feature, an upgraded MiG-29 can cover larger distances compared to the previous aircraft, something the IAF is keen on, keeping in mind the possibility of a two-front war scenario.The upgraded MiG-29s have all the latest features, including a glass cockpit with digital screens.

The upgraded aircraft can also do air-to-ground, air-to-air and even anti-shipping operations.

Also Read: Defence ministry approves purchase of 33 fighter aircraft for IAF, 248 indigenous missiles

This test is likely to be the last trial before the ‘Nirbhay’ missile is inducted formally into the armed forces.

Since September, the DRDO has carried out multiple missile tests. The first test was that of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) on 7 September, and its success paves the way for missiles that can travel at six times the speed of sound, making India the fourth country in the world after the US, China and Russia to develop such technology.

This was followed by a test of the nuclear-capable ‘Shaurya’ missile on 3 October, and the supersonic missile-assisted release of a torpedo on 5 October. The ‘Shaurya’ missile is now ready for induction into the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), which handles India’s nuclear arsenal.

In the interim, a different version of the in-service surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile Brahmos was also tested on 30 September. The DRDO has also carried out other tests, including one for the indigenous Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), besides a host of others.

Also read: Not just Arjun, DRDO looking to get indigenous anti-tank missile on Russian T-90 tanks too

Message to China?

Asked whether the back-to-back tests were part of the messaging towards China, sources explained that some of the tests were planned for earlier but got delayed due to the Covid pandemic, while in some cases the tests were scheduled for now.

“The missile tests were held up due to the Covid pandemic, even though the labs were working round the clock. These tests show that the DRDO is back to business as usual,” a DRDO source said.

It was winter and heavy snowfall had almost stopped normal life in the northern region. Heavy shelling by Pakistan had injured many of our soldiers. I received an emergency evacuation message in Chandigarh. We promptly activated the stand-by crew. However, when I studied the weather at Thoise in Ladakh’s Nubra Valley, from where the casualties were to be airlifted, I realised it was marginal and the crew may not be able to execute the mission.

The weather indicated that clouds were covering the entire region of Leh and Thoise. In hilly regions, one has to keep the ground in contact and keep clear of hills. Descend on instruments is a big no. I was the most experienced and the senior-most pilot in the Squadron, so I decided to attempt a landing.

The weather was such that in normal circumstances, one would not have even attempted a landing and instead waited for a clear day. But it was a matter of life and death for about 8 to 10 soldiers. We took off within half an hour from Chandigarh. The weather en-route, until Leh, was negotiable. We decided to go overhead to assess the weather for landing as we approached Thoise. We could not see the ground at all, not even through a few very clear patches.

Staying above hills in Thoise was a safe option, so we circled around and waited for a clearance to descend through the opening in the clouds, because the task of casualty evacuation was of immense importance. Thanks to our luck, we got a small break in the cloud through which we could see the airfield. Adapting all precautionary measures and keeping ground in contact, we descended and landed at Thoise. I kept the engine running.

Also read: Why the IAF’s peacetime operations are bigger than any other country

Spirited soldiers

The patients were brought to the aircraft and boarded without switching off the engine. The aim was not to waste any time on the ground because the weather was not helping our cause. With the aircraft door closing, I quickly taxied out. The doctor briefed me about the soldiers. All young men aged between 19-20 years with splinter injuries in the head and other body parts. I was to exercise caution about correct pressure maintenance in the aircraft for their comfort, even though they were heavily sedated. In head injury cases, these precautions are necessary.

The aircraft was ready for take-off but the weather played spoilsport once again. There was no break in clouding for our climb. I waited on the runway for 10 minutes without any success. Fuel was just about sufficient for the return journey to Chandigarh. I taxied back to the dispersal, where the doctor again came to the cockpit and told me something surprising.

The moment the soldiers had boarded the aircraft, even in their half-conscious state, they were sure that they were being airlifted to Chandigarh. The very thought of being airlifted to a better hospital showed a marked improvement in their overall health as indicated by their stabilised blood pressure. They were unaware that we had taxied back and not taken off yet — for them, the knowledge that they were in safe hands was clear now.

God showed some mercy and we got an opening. We took off for Chandigarh. When we reached there, we found ambulances were ready to ferry the patients to the Command Hospital. Next morning, I could not resist a visit to the hospital to see how the soldiers were doing. I met them all one by one and was happy to see them recovering. I did not disclose that it was my aircraft that had brought them here. For them, it did not matter: the very sound of An-32 had comforted them and their will power did the rest. Such incidents give one immense satisfaction about task accomplishment. It is the biggest award for your routine job and encourages one to move on with newfound enthusiasm.

AVM Suryakant Chafekar was the Commanding Officer of the 48 Squadron and retired from the Indian Air Force in 2017. Views are personal.

Ready for Ladakh winter, Army also preparing summer strategy, eyes more troop deployment

“The talks are on between both sides but China is sticking to its position that we should withdraw from the southern banks of Pangong Tso. We are of the view that disengagement should happen from all locations concerned simultaneously,” said a government source.

“We are prepared for the winter if China wants to stay, and we are also working out the summer strategy,” the source added.

Top government sources said Indian forces will at no point carry out any reduction in current troop deployment in forward areas unless China agrees to do the same. Any Chinese move, they added, will be subject to a proper verification process that will have to be decided by both sides.

This is so because at some points where the two armies are locked in a stand-off, the Indians need more time to reach the location than the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which has better road connectivity and the advantage of plains on their side, the sources said.

“We can’t afford a situation where we pull back, only for the Chinese to come back and occupy the positions. In some locations, we need more time to reach the positions where we are on than the Chinese who, can reach in a shorter time,” the source said.

At many locations along the LAC, the troops of the two countries are just a few hundred metres apart.

With no easing of tensions at the border despite multiple rounds of dialogue, India and China are already set for a heavy deployment in the forward areas of Ladakh through the region’s bitter winter, where the temperatures can drop to -35°C. Forward deployment through the Ladakh winter will be a first for both India and China.

The 7th round of corps commander-level talks is scheduled for 12 October, but the military is not pinning high hopes on it, as before. This is the first round of talks since China raked up the 1959 claim line as the LAC last month.

Also Read: 5 maps that tell you all you want to know about India vs China in Ladakh

‘India prepared for winter’

Talking about the plan ahead, government sources said the Chinese have come prepared to stay during the winter.

Giving details about the Indian preparations, the sources added that the Army has made all arrangements for the winter, with “some smaller issues left to be tied up”.

“Clothing, heated tents, food and other rations have all been taken care of. There might be some small challenges here and there, but then the Army will take care of it as days pass,” the aforementioned source said.

Referring to plans for increased deployment through the summer, or the “LoC-isation” of the LAC, another source said, “This increase does not mean creation of new division or anything but in terms of more battalions or a brigade more along with their equipment.”

Sources said there has been a renewed focus on increasing our capabilities along the LAC because of the aggression shown by the Chinese since May.

“We are determined to push ahead with the infrastructure activity. If anything, we have only sped up the process. Along with it, the Army in Ladakh is being provided with everything that they are demanding,” said a third source. “A spate of emergency procurement is being done which would have otherwise taken time.”

Also Read: How India-China crisis in Ladakh could impact Pakistan’s fate at FATF meet