Indian Navy has achieved another historic achievement. MiG-29K has created history by landing on INS Vikrant in the dark of night. The Indian Navy has said in a statement that this is a sign of the Navy’s enthusiasm towards self-reliance. The Indian Navy has marked this achievement as another step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. The Indian Navy has shared the video of the first night landing on Twitter.
#IndianNavy achieves another historic milestone by undertaking maiden night landing of MiG-29K on @IN_R11Vikrant indicative of the Navy’s impetus towards #aatmanirbharta,#AatmaNirbharBharat@PMOIndia @DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/HUAvYBCnTH
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 25, 2023
The MiG-29K jet is part of the fighter fleet of INS Vikrant. MiG 29K fighter aircraft is a very advanced aircraft, which can fly in any weather. It can fly at twice the speed of sound (2000 km per hour). It is capable of carrying a load eight times more than its own weight. It can fly at an altitude of 65000 feet.
Landing an aircraft on an aircraft carrier at night is considered challenging for the Navy, as the aircraft carrier is moving at 40–50 km/h and the pilots have to keep pace with the speed of the jets.
Earlier, the naval version of Tejas aircraft had successfully landed on INS Vikrant. However, then this landing was done during the day itself. Apart from this, Kamov 31 helicopter was also landed on INS Vikrant on 28 March.
Regarding the landing of MiG-29K, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, “I congratulate the Indian Navy for successfully completing the test of first night landing of MiG-29K on INS Vikrant. This remarkable achievement is a tribute to the Vikrant crew and the Navy.” A testimony to the skill, tenacity and professionalism of the pilots.”
INS Vikrant is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India
INS Vikrant is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India. It was built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kerala. This indigenous aircraft carrier was named after India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. INS Vikrant of 45000 tonnes was built at a cost of Rs 20000 crores. It was inducted into the Navy in September last year.
Features of MiG-29K aircraft
It is believed that MiG-29K aircraft will remain effective for the next 10-15 years, but the major problem is that its number in the Indian Air Force fleet is decreasing. There are currently 32 squadrons of MiG-29K in the Air Force and the army is facing its shortage.
MiG-29K is the fourth generation hi-tech aircraft, which is very effective in the Navy’s air defense mission. These aircraft, which work with equal capability in any weather, can attack sea and land alike.
-MiG-29K has Multi Functional Display (MFD), digital screen and glass cockpit. The version which was purchased earlier has been upgraded later due to which its firepower has also increased. Now the MiG-29K can also carry out air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-shipping missions. That is, it is also capable of hitting the sea surface, due to which the Navy has associated it with itself.
MiG-29K was deployed on the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. Later India bought it and in 2010 these fighter jets were inducted into the Navy fleet in the presence of the then Defense Minister AK Antony.
The Navy acquired the MiG-29K after a wait of more than two decades. Earlier, the Navy had procured ‘Short Take Off and Vertical Landing’ (STOVL) ‘Sea Harriers’ which were British-made fighter aircraft in the eighties.
The weapons fitted in the MiG-29K include “A-A”, “A-S” missiles, guided aerial bombs, rockets, air bombs and 30 mm caliber air guns. New types of weapons can be set in it on the request of the customer.
-MiG-29K is equipped with hi-tech target and navigation system, quad-redundant fly-by-wire flight control system, radar and optical locating station, helmet-mounted target / display system, communication-self-defense equipment, cockpit instrumentation. This aircraft has a big role in handling high flight safety, effective use of weapons, as well as navigation and training tasks.
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