New Delhi: The MiG-29, which was thought to be one of India's most potent weapons, is a defective aircraft. The stunning disclosure that the MiG-29 is structurally flawed was made in Parliament by Defence Minister A K Antony.
The Russian-made MiG-29 has a tendency to develop cracks due to corrosion in the tail fin. Russia has shared this finding with India, which emerged after the crash of a Russian Air Force MiG-29 in December 2008.
"There was a MiG 29 accident in Russia in December 2008. RAC MiG has intimated that corrosion on the fin root ribs has been identified as the cause of the crack development," Antony said while replying to a question in Rajya Sabha.
He added that there was no plan to decommission the aircraft from IAF.
"A repair scheme and preventive measures are in place and IAF has not encountered major problems concerning the issue," Antony said.
The MiG-29 is the most advanced aircraft of the MiG series so far.
Antony's statement is the first official acknowledgment by India that the MiG-29 has serious limitations.
Despite this scare, India recently signed a billion-dollar deal with Russia for the upgrade of its MiG-29 fleet.
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