By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A MiG-29KUB two-seat naval fighter jet made the first touch-and-go landings last week on Indian Navy aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, Russia’s Sevmash shipyard said Monday.
The ship is currently undergoing sea trials in the Barents Sea off the north coast of Russia.
The jet, piloted by navy test-pilots Col. Nikolai Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyaev, completed several approaches to the carrier and finally made a touch-and-go landing.
The Vikramaditya, formerly the Russian Navy’s Admiral Gorshkov, is to be handed over to India following the trials after a much-delayed refit.
The ship was extensively modified to undertake STOBAR — short takeoff but assisted recovery — operations with MiG-29K naval fighter aircraft, as well as receiving new air defence, communications and navigations systems.