India has decided to expand the capabilities of its MiG-29 fleet with new long-range weapons: the fighters are planned to be adapted for the Indian Khagantak-243 glide bomb and the RudraM-II missile.
For the MiG-29, this means a shift from primarily modernizing onboard systems to expanding the range of weaponry, including long-range attack capabilities. The Indian Air Force's plans are reported by IDRW.
The Khagantak-243 looks most interesting for the MiG-29. After its first test from a Su-30MKI fighter, the Indian Air Force is considering its integration with the carrier-based MiG-29K, as well as the Mirage 2000. The bomb belongs to the class of glide munitions, and when dropped from an altitude of about 12 km at Mach 0.8, the declared range is 144–180 km. The munition is equipped with an Mk-81 warhead with 125 kg of explosives, folding glide wings, and five control surfaces.
For the MiG-29K, this is a particularly notable change: the fighter gains the prospect of using weapons that allow it to attack a target without directly approaching the zone of its air defense.
The second element of the program will be the RudraM-II — an Indian air-to-surface missile primarily designed to destroy ground-based radar stations and other air defense elements. Its range is estimated at approximately 300 km.
As a result, the Indian MiG-29 modernization program gains another focus — not only extending the aircraft's service life but also expanding its capabilities through domestic weaponry.
Earlier, it was reported that the Indian Air Force faced not so much a problem with the MiG-29 itself, but with its weaponry lagging behind the capabilities of other Russian fighters, namely the Su-30MKI.