The MiG-29UPG, known in Indian Air Force service as “Baaz” (hawk), is an extensively upgraded version of the Soviet-origin MiG-29 air-superiority fighter, remaining one of the IAF’s principal air-defence interceptors nearly four decades after the type’s induction.[4] Combining a modern AESA radar, a domestically-developed electronic-warfare suite, and air-to-air refuelling capability with the airframe’s traditional high-agility performance, the MiG-29UPG continues to guard India’s northern and western airspace and saw heavy deployment during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, even as ongoing Russian spares shortages have pushed India toward an unusual American maintenance partnership to sustain the fleet.[3]
India signed its original contract for the MiG-29 in September 1986, with the first aircraft delivered by sea and assembled at Pune in mid-1987; the type was formally inducted into IAF service with No. 28 and No. 47 Squadrons at a ceremony in Pune on 6 December 1987, having reportedly entered limited squadron service as early as 1985, with full in-country repair and overhaul facilities completed only by 1996.[9] Facing block obsolescence of the original fleet’s avionics and weapons, the IAF signed a mid-life upgrade contract with Russia’s RAC-MiG in March 2008, worth roughly $964 million, covering the modernisation of 63 single-seat aircraft to the current UPG standard.[9] India has also periodically pursued additional second-hand MiG-29 airframes from Russia to sustain fleet numbers, with a 2019 report describing IAF interest in urgently acquiring 21 more aircraft.[8]
The MiG-29UPG retains the baseline MiG-29’s high-agility, twin-engine air-superiority airframe, capable of speeds up to roughly Mach 2.25 (about 2,400 km/h), while integrating a Zhuk-ME active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, upgraded RD-33 Series 3 turbofan engines, an in-flight refuelling probe, and a modernised weapons-control system and cockpit avionics suite.[5] The upgrade programme fitted additional internal and conformal fuel capacity to extend range and endurance, and added genuine air-to-air refuelling capability that the original MiG-29 lacked, materially improving the type’s combat radius and mission flexibility.[5] Critically, the MiG-29UPG is one of only two aircraft in IAF service, alongside the Rafale, to carry an internal, integrated electronic-warfare suite: the DARE-developed D-29 system, built jointly with Israel’s Elisra and Italy’s Elettronica, combines a radar-warning receiver, electronic support measures, and countermeasures dispensers in a fifth-generation, AESA-compatible architecture.[4]
With Russia’s own defence-industrial capacity strained by the war in Ukraine and increasingly unable to reliably supply spare parts for its exported platforms, India has taken the unusual step of turning to a US-based maintenance partner: in July 2025, American Coastal Mechanics Inc. was reported to be supporting upgrade and sustainment work on India’s MiG-29UPG and naval MiG-29K fleets, a striking departure from the traditional Russian-sourced support model for the type.[3] The IAF has continued high-visibility flying of the type to demonstrate continued operational relevance; in March 2026 the Air Force chief personally flew a solo MiG-29UPG sortie to review Western Air Command’s operational readiness.[1]
India’s fleet comprises the baseline MiG-29B/UB aircraft as originally delivered, now almost entirely superseded in frontline service by the upgraded MiG-29UPG standard, which incorporates the Zhuk-ME AESA radar, D-29 electronic-warfare suite, and air-to-air refuelling capability.[9] The Indian Navy separately operates the related, carrier-capable MiG-29K from INS Vikramaditya, sharing much of the same sustainment ecosystem and, more recently, the same American maintenance support arrangement as the Air Force fleet.[3]
Beyond the original 1980s procurement, the 2008 mid-life upgrade contract covering 63 aircraft was valued at approximately $964 million, representing the primary investment underpinning the current UPG standard.[9] India has continued to weigh further second-hand acquisitions from Russia to offset fleet attrition, though no large additional order had been finalised as of the most recent public reporting.[8]
The MiG-29UPG fleet’s growing dependence on a strained Russian defence-industrial supply chain, and the resulting shift toward American-sourced maintenance support disclosed in July 2025, has drawn attention as a symptom of the broader logistics pressure facing India’s large inventory of Russian-origin platforms following the Ukraine war.[3] More broadly, analysts have periodically questioned the strategic logic of India continuing to acquire and sustain a nearly 40-year-old airframe design rather than accelerating replacement with indigenous or newer imported types, though supporters note the UPG upgrade’s modern radar, EW suite, and weapons integration keep the type genuinely combat-relevant as a dedicated air-defence interceptor.[7]
MiG-29UPG squadrons, numbering roughly 52 aircraft across two frontline units concentrated along the northern and western borders, were heavily engaged in air-defence and interception duties during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, supporting the IAF’s sustained 88-hour campaign that concluded with Pakistan seeking a ceasefire.[10] The type continues to be flown regularly by senior IAF leadership as a visible marker of the fleet’s continued frontline relevance, including a March 2026 solo sortie by the Air Force chief during a Western Air Command readiness review.[1]
| Type | Twin-Engine Air-Superiority Fighter |
| Crew | 1 (2 in trainer variant) |
| Max speed | ~Mach 2.25 (~2,400 km/h) |
| Radar | Zhuk-ME AESA |
| Electronic warfare | D-29 integrated EW suite (DARE/Elisra/Elettronica) |
| Engines | 2x RD-33 Series 3 turbofans |
| Refuelling | In-flight probe (added in upgrade) |
| Manufacturer | Mikoyan / RAC-MiG (Russia, design & upgrade) |
| In service | 1987-present (UPG standard from ~2011-2015) |
| Number in service (India) | ~52 (63 upgraded under 2008 contract) |