News Story: Can North Korea shoot down a US military aircraft?

North Korean KN-06 Surface-to-Air Missile System

By: Mike Yeo

MELBOURNE, Australia — At a news conference in New York on Monday, North Korea’s foreign minister accused U.S. President Donald Trump of declaring war via Twitter, and the minister threatened to shoot down U.S. Air Force bombers conducting flights near the Korean Peninsula.

Ri Yong Ho told reporters that his country “reserves the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they’re not yet inside the airspace border of our country.” His comments come in the wake of a war of words between both countries over North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program.

The conference came after a Sept. 23 flight over international waters “east of North Korea” by U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers, escorted by F-15C jets, that U.S. Pacific Command said was the “farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) any U.S. fighter or bomber aircraft have flown off North Korea’s coast in the 21st century.”

According to South Korean media citing sources from the country’s intelligence services, the route of the B-1Bs took them approximately 90 miles from the North Korean port city of Sinpo and the Punggye-ri nuclear test site at its closest point but beyond the range of known long-range, ground-based air defense systems. The bombers’ flight path was also well beyond the North’s self-declared, 50-mile military boundary zone, which is not recognized by the United States.

At these distances, it would be a significant challenge for the North to effectively target any U.S. overflights. Like much of its conventional forces, North Korea’s air defense network is large in quantity but of questionable quality due to obsolescence, as the country is barred from importing military capabilities due to a United Nations arms embargo.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: Russia Pitches Aggresively For MiG-29K $12 Bn Indian Deal

A MiG-29K on the deck of INS Vikramaditya

Indian Navy had issued a detailed request for information in January this year for 57 multi-role fighter aircraft to which Russian, French, Swedish and American companies had replied with their intent.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — With an eye on a big ticket deal involving supply of 57 naval multi-role fighter jet for Indian Navy's aircraft carriers, Russian manufacturer MiG has offered to jointly develop the MiG 29 K fighter jets with an Indian counterpart under the 'Make in India' program with complete transfer of technology. MiG is planning to submit a detailed proposal to the Indian government in this regard soon.

The procurement plan currently is in request for information stage. MiG CEO Ilya Tarasenko has claimed MiG-29K aircraft have serious tactical and technical advantages compared to Boeing’s F/A-18.

“We are considering various options for long-term and perspective cooperation, including those within the framework of the Make in India program. The Indian side has sent an RFI to companies that produce aircraft, which is one of the procedures preceding the official tender. MiG corp. has received such a request, now we are preparing our proposal,” Ilya Tarasenko, MiG CEO told to PTI in a written interview.

News Story: Boeing offers to build F/A-18 Super Hornet in India

by Stephen Carlson

Boeing has proposed the construction of a manufacturing facility in India for the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter planes as part of the nation's planned acquisition of 57 carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft.

The Indian Navy currently operates the MiG-29K from the INS Vikramaditya, a modified Russian-built Kiev-class aircraft carrier. India is currently building the domestically designed Vikrant-class carrier with two planned.

The Indian Navy has experienced serious maintenance problems with the MiG-29K due to stress on the airframe during carrier landings, as well as other serviceability issues. Planes often require significant repairs after routine landings, and many of the parts can only be secured from Russia.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: Indian Navy wants Russian MiG-29K jets to be ‘ruggedized’

An Indian Mig-29K on the deck of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian Navy is facing acute maintenance problems with the 45 Russian-made MiG-29K aircraft, which are the sole fighters on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, according a senior Indian Navy official.

“We (Indian Navy) want the MiG-29K aircraft to be ruggedized to carry out operations because landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier is almost like a hard landing and the fighter aircraft needs frequent maintenance,” the Navy official said.

“There are frequent structural defects due to deck landing,” the official added.

The service did not enter into a contract for automatic maintenance of the aircraft with the Russians while purchasing the MiG-29K fighter aircraft in 2004 and 2010 for $2.2 billion.

“Today they are fully dependent on Russia for all major support issues,” an Indian Ministry of Defence official said of the Navy. “The Indian MoD has taken up the matter with the Russians on several occasions. Though the Russians have sent their technical teams, no solution has been forthcoming.”

Arun Prakash, a retired Indian Navy admiral and former service chief, was more critical of the situation: “The truth is that the Indian Navy has virtually funded the development of this aircraft (which the Russian Navy is now adopting), and if the Russians had any ethics they would ensure that every shortcoming is fixed free of cost.”

According to the MoD official, state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is of little help in this situation: “Without approval of design authority, it is difficult to go in for any modification.”

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: Crashes Cripple Indian Already Inadequate Fighter Jet Strength Over Last 3 Years

Already short of more than 200 fighter jets from the required strength, the Indian defense ministry revelation that 37 fighter jet and helicopters were lost in accidents have further clouded the capability of Indian armed forces to tackle a hypothetical two-front attack by China and Pakistan.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The Indian defense ministry revelation comes in the backdrop of the standoff between India and China in the Doklam plateau of Bhutan. A few days ago, the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa had said in an interview that the IAF does not have the required fighter jets to fight a full-spectrum war.

"37 fighters and defense aircraft have crashed during the last three years in which 55 people were killed," Subhash Bhamre, India's Minister of State for Defense told the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian Parliament. Bhamre provided details of the accidents where IAF lost 24 planes and five helicopters in the last three years.

News Report: Indian Navy Gets Cracking on Jet Trials for $15 Billion Fighter Deal

Artists impression of the future IAC-1 Aircraft Carrier

The Indian Navy has rushed into the trial of four jets that had responded to its request for information (RFI) as part of a $15 billion deal. The decision to start trial indicates the urgency of the Navy to procure a fighter jet for its aircraft carrier.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – In the first phase of trials, the French Rafale of Dassault Aviation and American F/A-18 from Boeing had taken part in trials on the western coast of Karwar on the Russian-made aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, formerly Admiral Gorshkov.

SAAB and Rosoboronexport will also show their capabilities during the trial to the Indian Navy which has detailed its requirement for the naval fighter in a 55-page RFI, sources said. The four manufacturers had responded to the global RFI issued by the Indian Navy in January this year.

News Report: India Seeks to Enhance Naval Ties With Malaysia With Defense Deals

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chairman, the Chiefs of Staff Committee, began a five-day tour to Malaysia on Tuesday a week after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s India visit. During the Malaysian PM’s visit, Adani Ports had initiated a deal to develop Carey Island near Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian partners.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Admiral Lanba is expected to hold further discussions on the purchase of the Malaysian MiG-29 fleet and the supply of fighter jet spare parts to Malaysia. He is also to visit major naval establishments of the Royal Malaysian Navy including the submarine base. India seeks to receive some orders from the Royal Malaysian Navy.

"During his visit, the Admiral will hold discussions with the Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of Royal Malaysian Defense Forces along with the chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force of Malaysia. An inaugural field training exercise is also scheduled between both navies in June this year, coinciding with the visit of Indian naval ships to Malaysia," said an Indian Navy spokesperson.

Admiral Lanba is visiting Kuala Lumpur in the backdrop of increased mutual trust between China and Malaysia, which was evident in January this year when in an unprecedented move, China docked its attack submarine at Sabah port in Malaysia. China will also supply four 68.8-meter-long Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) that displace about 680 tons at full load each to Malaysia by 2021.

News Story: LIMA Show Reveals Malaysian Indecision Over Military Needs

Malaysian Air Force F/A-18D Hornet (Image: Wiki Commons)

by Chen Chuanren and Vladimir Karnozov

The 2017 Langkawi International Marine and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) attracted 555 exhibiting companies and more than 40,000 trade visitors and witnessed deal signings worth a reported RM3.8 billion ($860 million). This enabled Malaysian defense minister Hishammudin Hussein to declare the show “a big success.” But there was no disguising the fact that most of the signing ceremonies duringLIMA were small-scale, and that none of Malaysia’s supposed requirements for new military aircraft were firmed up.

The main reason has been the national economy slowdown, lowering GDP growth to 4.2 percent in 2016, much below earlier expectations. Speaking at the show opening, Prime Minister Najib Razak repeated that a total of RM26 billion ($5.9 billion) had been allocated under the 11th national economic development plan to bolster defense, public order and enforcement. Most of that money, however, is already spent, leaving little room for follow-on acquisitions, such as the long-discussed maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) and medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle.

However, Malaysia might soon seek surplus jets and helicopters from Saudi Arabia according to Hishammuddin, who spoke following a visit by the Saudi monarch King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud and his entourage to Kuala Lumpur in late February.

The MRCA debate continues, with no apparent progress since 2015. Marketing teams from BAESystems, Dassault and Saab again came to LIMA to press the respective merits of the Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale and Gripen, with the latter two also present in the form of actual hardware. Senior RMAF officers gave mixed signals about the air arm’s future fighter plans. Although the RMAFcommander Gen. Affendi told AIN that the dwindling operational fleet of MiG-29s might be upgraded, his assistant chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Kamalruzaman, told AIN that the type will be decommissioned.

Kamalruzaman further told AIN that the RMAF could streamline its future inventory as a new strategy to increase fighter availability and reduce costs.

Read the full story at AINonline

News Story: Myanmar MiG-29 Upgrade Revealed - Will Malaysia Follow?

A MiG-29UB Fighter Aircraft (File Photo)

by Vladimir Karnozov

Ten MiG-29 fighters belonging to the Myanmar air force have been upgraded at RAC MiG facilities near Moscow, a source in the Russian delegation at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) 2017 show in Malaysia last week told AIN. Moscow is now offering similar upgrades to Malaysia, which acquired 18 in 1994, and to Bangladesh, which procured 10 MiG-29s at the turn of the century.

The upgrade solution for Myanmar is referred to as MiG-29SM (mod.). It is believed to be a low-cost version compared to the more expensive MiG-29UPG that India has been doing, and which is broadly similar to the Russian air force MiG-29SMT. Details about the MiG-29SM (mod.) are yet to emerge, but it apparently keeps the original N-019E radar, albeit with some technology insertions and part replacements.

Among other things, a cross-fleet upgrade would bring the Myanmar aircraft to a single standard. In 2001 that country signed for 10 MiG-29 single-seat fighters and two MiG-29UB operational trainers. In December 2009, Myanmar awarded RAC MiG a follow-on order for 10 more MiG-29s (“Fulcrum-B”) plus six more advanced MiG-29SEs and four operational trainers. Shipments under the second order took place in late 2011-early 2012, with the last pair of two-seaters arriving in March 2013. This brought the Myanmar Fulcrum fleet to 32 aircraft. RAC MiG’s offer was to upgrade the whole fleet of single-seaters to a common standard.

Read the full story at AINonline

Sea, air, land and space updates (21-Mar-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

In its biggest show of naval force in the Asia–Pacific since WWII, Japan has unveiled plans to send its largest warship—the Izumo helicopter carrier—on a three-month tour of the South China Sea, kicking off in May. Stopping off in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, its destination is the Indian Ocean, where it will join India and the US in the Malabar naval exercise. Japan’s drills last week with South Korea and the US in the Sea of Japan further demonstrated that its ‘naval forces [are] playing a bigger part in the region.’Unimpressed, China has promised to ‘take firm responsive measures’ should Japan ‘persist in taking the wrong actions’.

After last Monday’s hijacking of the tanker Aris 13 by Somali pirates off Somalia’s coast (the first since 2012), a new spate of attacks is feared, with one pirate warning: ‘In the coming days we are going to seize even more foreign ships.’ Somali officials have now called upon NATO—which ended its counter-piracy mission in November—to do more to stop illegal fishing in the area, which some believe provoked the attack.

Everyone’s favourite submersible, Boaty McBoatface, left Chile on Friday on board the RRS James Clark Ross. It’s headed to the Antarctic to explore ‘some of the deepest and coldest abyssal waters on Earth’… Better you than me, Boaty!

India: India-Russia Military Industrial Conference

Minister of Defence, Finance and Corporate Affairs Shri Arun Jaitley while inaugurating the India-Russia Military Industrial Conference here today said relations with Russia are a key pillar of India’s foreign policy and Russia has been India’s long standing time-tested strategic partner since the last 70 years. The Minister stated that since the signing of the India-Russia Strategic Partnership in 2000, ties between the two sides have acquired new heights with enhanced level of cooperation in almost all areas including defence. Shri Jaitley further added that India-Russia Military Technical Cooperation has graduated from a simple buyer-seller relation to one involving joint research, development and production of advanced defence systems. The Brahmos Missile System as well as the licensed production of SU-30 in India are examples of such flagship cooperation, he emphasised. He called upon Russian companies to come forward for technology transfer to Indian companies and facilitate manufacturing of components/ parts and sub-systems at least for those cases where the requirement is in large numbers and is recurring in nature. The Minister was of the opinion that there is tremendous potential for collaboration between Indian and Russian companies for export, so as to become part of the global supply chain. 

News Story: Malaysian defense - Budget hinders military asset procurement

By: Mike Yeo

MELBOURNE, Australia — Malaysia’s military continues to struggle to implement plans to recapitalize its assets, as the government’s budget is battered by slow economic growth mainly due to falling oil revenues. 

As a result, major procurement programs for the Malaysian Armed Forces have mostly been put on hold even as existing platforms rapidly approach obsolescence. For the Royal Malaysian Air Force, this means that badly needed fighters, trainers, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft will unlikely be acquired in the short to medium term.

Situated alongside the vital maritime trade routes and the hotly disputed islands of the South China Sea of which it partly claims, Malaysia faces a unique geographical challenge, as its territory is split by the South China Sea into two separate landmasses 365 miles apart at its narrowest point.

This has had the effect of spreading the RMAF thinner, with the service recently moving a squadron of BAE Hawk 108/208 light attack aircraft to eastern Malaysia in response to continuing unrest and lawlessness in neighboring southern Philippines. This has spilled over into Malaysia on a number of occasions in the form of kidnappings and even an armed insurrection in 2013 that necessitated a military operation, including airstrikes by RMAF aircraft, to it put down.  

Malaysia’s $3.6 billion 2017 defense budget represented a 13 percent drop from 2016’s budget. And it represents 1.2 percent of gross domestic product, taking defense spending in real terms down to 2002 levels. 

The budget includes $104 million to the RMAF for procurement, but as Malaysian defense analyst Dzirhan Mahadzir told Defense News, this will be used to pay for ongoing programs rather than new acquisitions.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Russia’s fifth-gen fighter blitz

MiG-29 (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Matthew Bodner

MOSCOW — Russia is moving aggressively on another traditional patron of U.S. arms exports: the United Arab Emirates. Rather than cheap small arms and land-based platforms, Russian companies appear to have identified a market opportunity: relatively cost-effective alternatives to Western fifth-generation fighters.  

The head of Russia’s largest defense conglomerate Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, told reporters at the IDEX show in Abu Dabi this week that Rostec would partner with the UAE Defense Ministry to develop a light fifth-generation fighter jet based on the MiG-29. Development is slated to begin in 2018, and production should launch seven to eight years after that. 

“It takes quite a long period of time to develop,” Chemezov told Defense News in an exclusive interview. “We anticipate local production here in [UAE], for the needs of [UAE].” 

The announcement comes as Russia is engaging in a region-wide diplomatic and economic press to rebuild old alliances and forge new ones. And after 18 months of aerial operations in Syria, countries that have strong appetites for fighter jets are taking closer looks at what Russia has to offer.  

The deal with UAE likely took some in the industry by surprise, says Dr. Theodore Karasik, senior advisor at the Washington-based Gulf State Analytics. Several Western firms have seen high-profile fourth-gen fighter deals with UAE fall through in recent years, but efforts to hash out an agreement have continued. 

Under the agreement, Russia is set to provide UAE with fifth-generation fighter technology, produced locally in partnership with UAE defense firms. “This in itself is completely different than any previous aerospace deals between UAE and the West,” Karasik says. “Whether it will work is another question.”  

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: UAE and Russia To Jointly Develop a New Fighter

Saab GlobalEye swing-role surveillance system

by David Donald

The biggest talking point at this week’s IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi was the announcement by Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov that the United Arab Emirates and Russia would jointly develop a fifth-generation light fighter. It will apparently be based on an advanced version of the Russian MiG-29. Chemezov also claimed that the UAE has been in separate discussions regarding the purchase of Sukhoi Su-35s.

The news came during the visit of a high-level Russian delegation led by trade and industry minister Denis Manturov. The minister and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, witnessed the signing of an agreement between Russia and the UAE covering cooperation in the defense industries. Manturov commented, “One of the fields of this cooperation is the creation, development and supply of the fifth-generation fighter jet.” Another deal was struck in which Middle East investors aim to acquire a minority stake in Russian Helicopters.

There were few firm aviation-related orders announced at the show. The most notable was one worth approximately $236 million from the UAE Air Force for a third Saab GlobalEye swing-role surveillance system from the Swedish manufacturer. At the Dubai Air Show in November 2015, the UAE announced an order for two of these aircraft, based on the Global 6000 business jet. At that same time, the UAE also ordered an update of the Erieye radar on its two Saab 340AEW aircraft to incorporate Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology.  

Read the full story at AINonline

News Report: India Sanctions Engine Repair Facility for Naval Carrier Aircraft MiG 29K

MiG-29K Fighter on the deck of INS Vikramaditya

Indian Navy has announced a tender for 57 multi-role carrier borne fighters. Russian Aircraft has announced its willingness to participate in this bid.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – In a bid to improve serviceability of carrier aircraft MiG 29K, Indian government has decided to set up an ‘intermediate’ engine repair facility for MiG 29k fighter jets at the Indian Navy base at Goa. Indian Navy has 45 such jets that operate from sea-borne aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov i.e INS Vikramaditya. Russia has completed the delivery of all the contracted fourth generation multi role fighters in 2016.

“This was a long overdue measure. There was always an understanding between India and Russia that once these aircrafts come, a repair facility will be installed but somehow it got delayed. Indian Navy was pressurizing to government for more than 2-3 years for repair facility in Goa where squadron is based. As we know that serviceability of MiG 29K jets is very low and Indian Navy was struggling to find spare parts for the aircraft, sanctioning of this repair facility is definitely a welcome step,” says Indian Naval Commander Abhijit Singh (retired).

Nerws Story: Russia's Rostec to co-develop 5th-gen fighter with UAE

By: Jill Aitoro

Russia defense heavyweight Rostec will partner with the UAE Ministry of Defence to co-develop a fifth-generation light combat fighter, company CEO Sergey Chemezov said at IDEX in Abu Dhabi Monday. 

Development, which is based upon its MiG-29 twin-engine fighter aircraft, will kick off in 2018, and will take an estimated seven to eight years, Chemezov said during a media briefing with journalists. He elaborated in an exclusive one-on-one interview with Defense News. 

“That’s not fast, because it takes quite a long period of time to develop,” he said speaking through a translator. “We anticipate local production here in the Arab Emirates, for the needs of Emirates. And of course [we expect development to support the needs of] the neighboring countries." 

Details about how the partnership would be structured have not been finalized, though Chemezov said it could potentially function as a joint venture between the company and UAE or UAE's domestic suppliers. 

The announcement comes soon after confirmation by the company that it would support development of India’s fifth-generation advanced medium combat aircraft. Though Chemezov wouldn’t comment on deals still under negotiations, the company is expected to sign a contract for Su-35 aircraft for Indonesia any day. Egypt is another country that reportedly is in talks with Rostec for fighters – MiG-29 aircraft specifically. The two companies signed a $3.5 billion arms package in 2014 covering aircraft, missiles, and coastal defenses.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Russia's Middle East power play

By: Matthew Bodner

Moscow — A week after concluding its combat mission in Syria, Russia’s flagship Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier had one final mission in the Mediterranean. It was, perhaps, a mission for which the ship was most capable: impressing Third-World strongmen.  

On Jan. 11, Russian news agencies reported that East Libyan general Khalifa Haftar was flown aboard the Kuznetsov for a personal tour from the ship’s captain and a video conference with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. The publicized comments were vague and predictable.  

“They discussed pressing issues in the fight against international terrorist groups in the Middle East,” the Defense Ministry was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying. It was the latest evidence that Moscow is courting Haftar as part of a broader effort across the region.  

In November, Haftar visited Moscow to meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Details of that meeting, too,  were scant. But Haftar reportedly asked the Kremlin to assist him in fighting Islamic terrorists in Libya.   

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Indian Navy Releases RFI for New Carrier-borne Fighter

F/A-18E Supper Hornet Fighter

by Neelam Mathews

The Indian Navy has released a detailed Request for Information for procurement of 57 Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF). The move follows the navy’s rejection of the naval version of the indigenous HAL Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) for its planned IAC-2 (Indian Aircraft Carrier) that is designed for catapult launch and arrested recovery, and the existing IAC-1, which has a ski-ramp for launch. The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet would appear to be the leading contender, with the Dassault Rafale M another possibility.

The RFI states that the MRCBF should be a day and night capable, all-weather multi-role combat aircraft that can be used for air defense; air-to-surface operations; buddy refueling; reconnaissance; and electronic warfare missions. The life-cycle cost of the aircraft (post warranty) is an important consideration, with two depot-level repair facilities. India wants the transfer of critical technology and the participation in that process by Indian second-tier suppliers and those who can contribute to the supply chain.

The deadline for responses to the RFI is May 17. The Request for Proposal will be released once the RFI is reviewed. The deliveries of the aircraft should start within three years of signing the contract, and be completed within a further period of three years.

Read the full story at AINonline

News Report: Indian Navy Pitches for Three More Multirole Fighter Squadrons

A Navy MIG-29K on Aircraft Carrier Deck

Global military aviation majors to square off as India sets stiff parameters for the selection of 57 combat jets that are able to operate from aircraft carriers.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – The Indian Navy has finally decided to rest speculation whether it will opt for a home-developed combat jet or import them for its aircraft carriers.

It has sought information from global manufacturers for 57 multi role carrier-borne fighters. "Multi role fighters are intended as day and night capable, all-weather multi-role deck based combat aircraft which can be used for air defense, air-to-surface operations, buddy refueling, reconnaissance and EW missions from Indian Naval aircraft carriers," reads document issued for global suppliers.

Apart from some basic guidelines for procurement, Indian Navy has sought answers on the configuration in 55 pages on a range of issues like electronic warfare capability, endurance and payload. Indian government is desirous of license production of the aircraft after acquiring Transfer of technology in the case.

News Report: Russia to Set Up MiG-29 Fighter Jet After-Sales Service Center in India in 2017

MIG-29K Fulcrum Fighter

Vice-president of the United Aircraft Corporation for innovations said that Russia will open an after-sales service center in India for maintenance of the MiG-29 fighter jets.

LUKHOVITSY (Moscow Region) (Sputnik)– Russia will open an after-sales service center in India for maintenance of the MiG-29 fighter jets, Sergey Korotkov, the vice-president of the United Aircraft Corporation for innovations, said Friday.

“We offer the contractual after-sales service to our foreign clients. Beside the delivery of the aircraft, we are ready to create the maintenance centers on the territory of the client … Such a center to service MiG-29 jets is expected to be opened in India in 2017,” Korotkov told reporters.

The MiG-29 fighter jets, developed in the Soviet Union in 1980s, are currently used in 29 countries across the world.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.