Article Posted on : - Sep 04, 2011

The delivery of first batch of 16 MiG-29K fighters to Indian Navy is expected to be completed this month.

PANAJI (PTI): Indian Navy’s ‘Black Panthers’, a squadron of MiG-29K aircraft, will complete induction of the Russia-made fighter jets by mid-2012, officials said Saturday.

The delivery of the first batch of 16 aircraft is likely to be completed this month, Commander B Hota, Commander-in- Chief of the squadron, told PTI.

"The second lot of 29 aircraft will arrive at a later date," he added.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a press conference organised to announce golden jubilee celebrations of Naval base 'INS Hansa', located at Vasco, about 40 km from here, Hota said Black Panthers would be renamed Squadron 303.

MiG-29Ks based at INS Hansa are attached to the aircraft carrier 'INS Vikramaditya', which will be commissioned in the Navy shortly, officials said.

MiG-29K is one of the most versatile and formidable carrier-borne fighter aircraft in the world. It is designed to destroy aerial targets, enemy's surface and shore targets, Navy officials said.

Commodore Ravneet Singh, Commanding Officer of INS Hansa, said the state-of-the-art simulator for MiG-29K would be ready within a couple of months.

The Naval base is also being equipped with the ski-jump facility and shore-based test facility (SBTF), he said.

Besides India, only American and Russians will have SBTF by the middle of next year, Singh said.

The facility will be similar to that of an aircraft carrier and would help pilot training.