J&K: India Deploys MiG-29 Squadron At Srinagar Airbase To Counter Threats From Pakistan, China

The MiG 29s have various advantages over the MiG-21s, which successfully managed to strike down an F-16 in 2019 post-Balakot air strikes on Pakistani terrorist camps on their mainland.

India has deployed a squadron of upgraded MiG-29 fighter jets at the Srinagar air base to counter the threats from both Pakistan and China, news agency ANI reported on Saturday. The Tridents squadron, also known as the ‘Defender of the North, has replaced the MiG-21 squadron at the Srinagar air base.

"Srinagar lies in the centre of the Kashmir valley, and its elevation is higher than the plains. It is strategically better to place an aircraft with a higher weight-to-thrust ratio and less response time due to its proximity to the border and that is equipped with better avionics and long-range missiles. The MiG-29 fulfils all these criteria, due to which we are capable of taking in the enemies on both fronts," Indian Air Force pilot Squadron Leader Vipul Sharma told ANI.

The MiG 29s have various advantages over the MiG-21s, which successfully managed to strike down an F-16 in 2019 post-Balakot air strikes on Pakistani terrorist camps on their mainland. The MiG-29 has also been equipped with very long-range air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground weaponry after the upgrades and has also been armed with lethal weaponry, making use of the emergency procurement powers given to the armed forces by the government.

"The fighter aircraft have also been provided with the capability to jam the enemy aircraft’s capabilities during times of conflict", officials said, as quoted by ANI.

Squadron Leader Shivam Rana said the upgraded aircraft can operate at night with night vision goggles. He also said that the aircraft has a longer range due to the capability of air-to-air refuelling capability. "We have also included the air-to-ground armament, which was not there earlier. The biggest capability of the aircraft is the pilots, who are handpicked by the Indian Air Force to serve on these aircraft," he said, as quoted by ANI.

The MiG-29s moved to the Srinagar air base in January this year and have flown extensively in the Kashmir valley along with the Ladakh sector, where they would be one of the first to respond in case of any airspace violation attempts by the Chinese. The MiG-29s were the first aircraft to have been deployed in the Ladakh sector to counter the threat from China after the Galwan clash of 2020.

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