US Navy delighted over MiG-29K's performance in Malabar Naval exercise

The MiG-29K equipped with a host of new weapons and sensors is considered among the most capable of its generation.

US Navy is impressed with the MiG-29K, the navalised variant fighter jets, which flew from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya at the 5-day Malabar Naval exercise between India-US-Japan in the Bay of Bengal.

According to Rear Admiral William D. Byrne, Jr., the Commander of Carrier Strike Group 11 which operates around the USS Nimitz, "the MiG-29s that were flying off the Vikramaditya and the FA-18 Super Hornets flying off Nimitz made approaches to the opposite flight decks. They got up in the air and got to do some dog fighting as well."

The MiG-29K equipped with a host of new weapons and sensors is considered among the most capable of its generation. That could potentially threaten several contemporary Western fighters including newer variants of the F-15 or F-16, reports NDTV.

Indian Navy was the first to deploy the MiG-29K. Along with the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy had received the MiG-29K as part of a package deal. The US would hardly give up any opportunity to exercise with the MiG-29K.

Yesterday, Indian Navy MiGs mounted combat air patrols (CAPs) defending a warship against US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets which simulated an anti-ship mission. Indian Navy sources have told NDTV that the Indian MiGs performed well in the mission. But the US Navy was clearly delighted as well, said NDTV.

OneIndia News