mo4ch:>India eyes buying mothballed MiG-29s from Russia to plug capability shortage – media | Mo4ch News

Faced with the dilemma of losing operational aircraft faster than they can buy new ones, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is in talks to buy 21 MiG-29 fighters from Russia, local media reports.Currently sitting unassembled since the 1980s, the deal would see the unused Soviet-era jets shipped to India for reassembly, and upgraded with the latest weapons and avionics. The deal is worth some Rs 6,000 crore (around $848 million), the Economic Times said citing government sources.First designed in the 1970s as an air-superiority fighter, the MiG-29 has undergone several redesigns in the recent decades with modernized variants including a naval version and multirole fighters.Moscow had put a “reasonable price” on the additional 21 jets, an IAF officer told ET. It is reported that a team from New Delhi visited Russia to inspect and discuss the warehoused airframes in January and had found them to be in good condition.The deal also envisions an upgrade program for the jets including new engines, t…