Bengaluru: MiG-29K aircraft upgraded by HAL undergoing flight trials

The Navy’s MiG-29K aircraft upgraded by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with indigenous mission computers and air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons are undergoing flight trials, an official said Wednesday.

The HAL’s Aircraft Upgrade Research & Design Centre launched the upgrade programme in 2021 to enhance the aircraft’s lethality.

“MiG-29K, which is directly procured by the Navy from RAC-MiG, Russia, is equipped with weapons of Russian origin. It cannot be operated with non-Russian-origin weapons without extensive modifications. Integration of indigenous weapons or western-origin weapons on Mig-29K is extremely challenging… In the light of these considerations, the Navy approached us for the upgrade,” a senior HAL official associated with the project said.