CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The Government of India is set to procure 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft from Russia. Apart from this, the Centre will also purchase the upgrades of the existing fleets of aircraft from Russian state-run defence export arm Rosoboronexport.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Indian Air Force, desperately short of fighter aircraft, is ordering 12 Russian-designed Sukhoi-30 MKI very shortly. Its bid for the fighters, a Rs 10, 000 crore package, is expected to be cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) shortly.

Detailed explanation-3: -NEW DELHI: The Defence Ministry on Thursday gave its approval to the Indian Air Force to speedily procure 21 MiG-29 fighter jets besides 12 Sukhoi MK1 from Russia – a key development that comes in the middle of an almost two-month long military standoff with China.

Detailed explanation-4: -After two years of evaluation and negotiations, on 30 November 1996, India signed a US$1.462 billion deal with Sukhoi for 50 Russian-produced Su-30MKIs in five batches. The first batch were eight Su-30Ks, the basic export version of Su-30 (designated Su-30MKI-I by India).

Detailed explanation-5: -On 28 December 2000, as part of the Russian-Indian cooperation, a contract worth more than US$3 billion was signed for license production of 140 Su-30MKI fighters at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) production plant in Nashik.