MiG-29K makes night landing on INS Vikrant

Tags: Defence

The Indian Navy achieved a significant milestone on May 24, 2023 by performing the first-ever night landing of a MiG-29K onboard INS Vikrant.

An Overview of the News:

• It is noteworthy in this context that the MiG-29K night landing within three months of the first landing on INS Vikrant is a challenging feat.
• INS Vikrant is currently undergoing air certification and flight integration trials with rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft to achieve 'combat ready' status very quickly.
• As part of these trials, the first landing of MiG-29K and indigenous LCA (Navy) took place on 06 February 2023 and since then there has been considerable progress in day and night landing trials of all helicopters of the Indian Navy.

MiG-29K:

• It is capable of flying in any weather.
• This jet is part of the fighter fleet of INS Vikrant.
• It can fly at twice the speed of sound (2000 km per hour).
• It is capable of carrying a load eight times its own weight.
• It can fly at an altitude of 65000 feet.

INS Vikrant:

• The country's first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant has completed extensive sea trials ahead of her maiden voyage on August 4, 2021.
• It was inducted into the Indian Navy on 2 September 2022 in the presence of the Prime Minister.
• It is modeled after INS Ajay, the first indigenous warship built in the country, and INS Nilgiri, the indigenous light warship (frigate).
• Built by : M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited.