India’s MiG-29 upgrade transforms legacy fighter jets into precision strike assets
July 8, 2025
India is breathing new life into its aging MiG-29 fleet with upgraded weapons, avionics, and extended airframe life. Rather than retiring the Soviet-era jets, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is adapting them for new missions, part of a broader shift toward indigenous modernisation and combat readiness.
This doctrinal pivot prioritises availability, affordability, and adaptability over expensive fleet replacements. Central to the effort is a $2.3 billion joint venture between Reliance Defence and US-based Coastal Mechanics, which will establish India’s first globally certified MRO hub for legacy combat aircraft.
MiG-29 upgrade redefines fighter’s role with precision strike capability
Central to the upgrade is the integration of the HSLD Mk-II precision-guided bomb, which gives the MiG-29 a new strike role beyond air superiority. The ‘high speed low drag’ bomb is a precision guided home-made weapon system with a strike range exceeding 180 kilometres (112 miles).
Traditionally used on Su-30MKIs and Jaguars, the HSLD Mk-II’s integration into the MiG-29 airframe will transform the jet from a pure air-superiority fighter into a flexible strike platform, capable of deep penetration and stand-off missions.
🇮🇳✈️ #IndianAirForce takes flight with Jaguar & Su-30 MKI jets, fortified by High-Speed Low Drag (HSLD) Mk II missiles! 🚀
— DRDO Defence Updates 🇮🇳 (@DRDO_Updates) November 7, 2023
🇮🇳🔧 #atmanirbharbharat initiative soaring high! 🛠️
🔜 "Make III" in DAP 2020 – HSLD Mk II made in India! 🇮🇳🌟 #IAF #MakeinIndia pic.twitter.com/URCxkaeldd
“Initially, 24 aircraft will be upgraded to deploy the HSLD Mk-II” an IiAF official said on condition of anonymity.“This includes modifications such as custom-designed bomb racks, software-defined mission computers, and avionics integration; a tailored overhaul aimed at ensuring precision capability while preserving flight safety and agility.”
The greenlighting of HSLD mass production signals growing confidence in India’s maturing weapons ecosystem.
The MiG-29: Soviet steel and still sharp
First inducted in 1986, the MiG-29 has served the IAF for nearly four decades. Over the years, the fleet has undergone significant enhancements through the MiG-29UPG programme, which added in-flight refuelling, new radar and electronic warfare systems, and compatibility with modern missile systems.
However, with the platform’s certified life expectancy beginning to expire from 2025, India now aims to extend the airframe’s life into the 2030s. This life-extension effort comes at a critical time, as delays in the induction of next-generation fighters continue to strain fleet strength.
Despite their age, the MiG-29s remain frontline-capable. They played a prominent role during recent border standoffs with Pakistan, demonstrating speed, agility, and operational readiness. India’s decision to acquire 21 additional MiG-29s from Russia further signals its confidence in the type’s enduring strategic value.
Reliance-Coastal Mechanics joint venture
The MiG-29 upgrade forms part of a broader push to transform India’s defense industrial base.
A newly announced $2.3 billion joint venture between India’s Reliance Defence and US-based Coastal Mechanics aims to establish India’s first high-capability, globally certified maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub.
Located at Mihan in western Indian state of Maharashtra, this facility will service a range of platforms including MiG-29s, Jaguars, and Apache helicopters.
“The venture represents a game-changing shift,” the IAF official said. “It reduces dependency on foreign OEMs for spares and upgrades, cutting turnaround times, and enabling defence exports to Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.”
India has long relied on OEMs in Russia and Europe for spares and upgrades, often facing delays and falling readiness rates. The Reliance-Coastal Mechanics partnership is intended as a blueprint for reversing that trend and enhancing force sustainability from within.
India’s MiG-29 upgrade extends legacy fighter’s role into the 2030s
The MiG-29 revival dovetails neatly with India’s twin aims of self-reliance and defense modernisation. From indigenous production of precision weapons like the HSLD Mk-II to local MRO capabilities and extended service life programs, the upgrade effort reflects a broader shift: leveraging domestic industry to sustain and strengthen frontline capability.
The Indian Navy, too, could benefit. It operates 35 MiG-29K variants across its two aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. Adopting the IAF’s upgrade package would allow for standardised maintenance, streamlined logistics, and enhanced flexibility at sea.
These upgrades come at a critical juncture. With the MiG-21 Bison now retired and the Jaguar fleet being gradually phased out, the IAF is working to maintain a 35–36 squadron strength by 2035, still short of its long-standing goal of 42 squadrons, but reliant on modernised legacy platforms to bridge the gap.
Once designed to counter Cold War adversaries like the F-15 and F-16, the MiG-29 is now being reimagined as a 21st-century multirole asset. Its reinvention through Indian-made weapons, MRO infrastructure, and extended airframe life embodies a new airpower philosophy: modern threats met with local solutions.
