The MiG-29s were the first aircraft to be stationed in the Ladakh region after the Galwan fight in 2020, and they have successfully prevented several Chinese incursions ever then.
As of today (12 August), India has stationed a squadron of modernised MiG-29 fighter planes at the Srinagar air base to counter growing threats from China and Pakistan.
The MiG-21 squadron at Srinagar Air Base, which was formerly responsible for dealing with the danger from Pakistan, has been replaced by the Tridents squadron, also known as the “Defender of the North.”
Srinagar is situated in the middle of the Kashmir valley, at a greater altitude than the surrounding plains. Positioning an aircraft closer to the border that has superior avionics and long-range missiles, as well as a greater weight-to-thrust ratio, is preferable from a strategic standpoint. Indian Air Force pilot Squadron Leader Vipul Sharma told ANI that the MiG-29 meets all these requirements, allowing the Indian military to counter threats on two fronts simultaneously.
Despite the MiG-21s’ superior defensive prowess in the Kashmir valley and their ability to shoot down an F-16 in 2019 in the wake of the Balakot air attacks on Pakistani terrorist facilities on the mainland, the MiG-29s offer many benefits.
After the improvements, the MiG-29 was armed with both air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles with very long ranges, with the help of the government’s emergency purchase powers.
In addition to being able to engage in aerial combat, “the fighter aircraft have also been provided with the capability to jam the capabilities of the enemy aircraft during times of conflict,” authorities stated.
According to another pilot, Squadron Leader Shivam Rana, the improved aircraft has a greater range thanks to air-to-air refuelling capabilities and the ability to fly at night with night vision goggles.
We’ve added air-to-ground weapons that weren’t there before. The Indian Air Force carefully selects each pilot to fly these planes, thus they are quite capable.
When the Chinese try to violate Indian airspace, the MiG-29s stationed at Srinagar Air Base would be among the first to react since they have been flying extensively in the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh sector since their arrival in January.
After the Galwan incident in 2020, the first aircraft to be sent to the Ladakh region to counter the danger from the Chinese side were the MiG-29s, and they have since prevented several such attempts.
