Indian Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma told
reporters here that he was yet to get any feedback
from the Russians on the air crash involving the
MiG-29KUB plane in south Russia's Astrakhan region
June 23.
The aircraft is the trainer version of the MiG-29K
that the Indian Navy fleet will operate from the
aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (erstwhile Admiral
Gorshkov) when it joins the fleet in 2013. The
Navy has purchased 16 planes, of which 12 are
single-seaters and four are trainers.
India has already got delivery of 11 aircraft,
including two trainers.
"We did get this input (air crash). So
we have sought a clarification from the Russian
company...because this aircraft was still with
the company and was being flown by its own pilots.
At the moment, we have not got the feedback,"
Adm Verma said.
"If they (MiG Corporation) feel there is
a technical reason to do it, which demands grounding,
that would be done," he said.
The Admiral said an Indian Navy team was present
in the MiG Corporation factory to oversee the
aircraft's manufacturing and the naval headquarters
here was in constant touch with it.
"So if there is any reason to believe that
there is some technical reason, we will address
it at that time. At this point of time, that is
not the case," he said.
Both pilots were killed in the Russian crash.
The Russian defence ministry has already grounded
its entire MiG-29K fleet till the investigation
into the crash was over.
The Indian Navy aircraft are operating from the
Goa Naval Air Station till the time INS Vikramaditya
is delivered to the Indian Navy by Russia's Sevmash
shipyard, which is carrying out a refit on the
warship.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) also operates a variant
of the MiG-29 and these too have been plagued
with problems, with nine aircraft crashing since
1997. The IAF currently has some single-seater
MiG-29s and 10 twin-seaters.
(IANS)
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