India to make MiG-29 engines

New Delhi, Jan 18 (UNI) The engines for the MiG-29 fighter aircraft will now be made in India, the Government today decided.

An agreement in this regard will be initialled during the forthcoming two-day visit here of Russian Deputy Prime Minister -- as also Defence Minister -- Sergei Ivanov from January 23.

The decision to sign the agreement was taken today at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told mediapersons here shortly thereafter.

CCS had approved the signing of the inter-governmental agreement with Russia for manufacture of the RD-33 series of engines for the MiG-29 aircraft used by the Indian Air Force (IAF), Minister Mukherjee said.

The engines will be manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under licence from the Russian government.

UNI