Overview
- Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh completed a roughly 45-minute MiG-29UPG sortie from a Western Air Command base in Punjab, with the formation led by Flight Lieutenant Parvinder Singh and concluding with a smart peel-off.
- During the visit, he assessed operational preparedness at the base, including infrastructure, crew readiness and aircraft maintenance standards.
- The Indian Air Force operates about 65 MiG-29UPG fighters across three squadrons for western and northern airspace defence, with two at Adampur and one at Jamnagar.
- The upgrade programme with Russia under a 2008 contract, completed around 2022, added a ZhukME-class radar, modern avionics, enhanced electronic warfare, inflight refuelling capability and additional fuel tanks.
- MiG-29UPG squadrons were deployed extensively for air defence and interception during last year’s nearly 88-hour Operation Sindoor, reflecting their current operational role as regional air forces reassess capabilities during the conflict in West Asia.