Platform profile · India · Multirole fighter · Indian Air Force; Indian Navy
MiG-29
OngoingJune 2026 weapons indigenisation and May 2026 maintenance milestones show active sustainment of the air-force and naval fleets.
On 5 June 2026, the Indian Navy publicly sought domestic development of 80 mm rockets for its MiG-29K/KUB fleet, planning 273 live and 2,400 practice rounds after prototype qualification. On 14 May, an IAF depot completed the first indigenous overhaul of a naval MiG-29K ejection seat, while the Air Chief flew a MiG-29UPG operational formation sortie at a western forward base on 12 March. This page covers the IAF's land-based MiG-29UPG and the Navy's carrier-capable MiG-29K/KUB, which remains a strike fighter on INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. The family remains important for air defence against Pakistan and for Indian carrier air power while domestic sustainment capacity expands.
Updated 5 Jun 2026
Verified figures
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum take-off weight (MiG-29K/KUB) | 22,400 kg ↗ |
| External payload (MiG-29K/KUB) | 4,500 kg on 8 hardpoints ↗ |
| Maximum speed (MiG-29K/KUB) | 1,400 km/h at low altitude; 2,200 km/h for MiG-29K and 2,100 km/h for MiG-29KUB at altitude ↗ |
| Operating range (MiG-29K) | 1,850 km without external tanks; 3,000 km with 3 external tanks ↗ |
| Powerplant (MiG-29UPG) | 2 × RD-33 Series 3 afterburning turbofans; 85.1 kN each at full afterburner ↗ |
| Internal-fuel range (MiG-29UPG) | 2,100 km ↗ |
| External payload (MiG-29UPG) | 4,500 kg on 7 hardpoints ↗ |
| Sensors (MiG-29UPG) | Zhuk-ME radar and OLS-UEM infrared search-and-track sensor ↗ |
| Armament (MiG-29K/KUB) | 30 mm GSh-301 cannon; RVV-AE, R-73E, Kh-31A/P and Kh-35E missiles; KAB-500Kr guided bombs ↗ |
Spec sources: roe.ru ↗ · sps-aviation.com ↗ · janes.com ↗
Changelog
Program timeline
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The Navy's solicitation for an indigenous 80 mm rocket for MiG-29K/KUB fighters became public, with plans for 273 live rockets and 2,400 practice rounds after prototype qualification.
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An IAF Base Repair Depot at Nashik completed the first indigenous overhaul of an Indian Navy MiG-29K ejection seat and handed it back to the Navy.
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Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh flew an operational formation sortie in a MiG-29UPG during a readiness visit to a forward airbase in India's Western Sector.
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MiG-29 aircraft took part in Vayushakti-26 at Pokhran, where more than 130 aircraft demonstrated precision strikes and combat-support operations.
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MiG-29K fighters demonstrated take-offs and landings aboard INS Vikrant in both daylight and darkness during the Prime Minister’s Diwali visit to the carrier.
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The IAF deployed MiG-29 and Jaguar fighters to the United Arab Emirates for Exercise Desert Flag-10, held from 21 April to 8 May 2025.
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India signed a ₹5,249.72 crore contract with HAL for RD-33 engines to sustain the IAF MiG-29 fleet through its residual service life.
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The Defence Acquisition Council approved procurement of 21 MiG-29 aircraft and upgrade of 59 existing IAF MiG-29s at an estimated cost of ₹7,418 crore.
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