India plans to buy 21 MiG-29 jet fighters from Russia: RIA

MOSCOW: India plans to buy 21 MiG-29 jet fighters and possibly more from Russia, the RIA news agency cited the deputy director of Russia’s federal service for military-technical cooperation as saying on Wednesday.

The report did not offer a possible time frame for the procurement plans.

New Delhi last year agreed a deal with Russia to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems despite a warning from the United States that such a purchase could trigger sanctions under U.S. law.

The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a twin-engine jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the larger Sukhoi Su-27, was developed to counter new US fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The MiG-29 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1982.

During the Cold War, the MiG-29 Fulcrum was the spearhead of the Soviet Air Force and was feared in the west for its excellent manoeuvrability both at sub- and supersonic speeds.