Hindustan Aeronautics is planning to deliver 16 upgraded MikoyanMiG-21 Fishbed fighters to the Indian air force by the end of March next year. One of the operational upgraded aircraft was shown at last month's air force day display. The upgrade was delayed by serious integration problems, and the majority of the 125 fighters to be upgraded should have been in service by now. The Indian Government contracted Russia's RSKto develop the upgrade in 1996. The refurbished MiG-21s have a new cockpit, including multifunction head-down displays and a head-up display, improved navigation systems, compatibility with the latest Russian air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, and self-defence equipment. The new Phazotron Kopyo lightweight multimode radar is claimed to have twice the range of the aircraft's original unit.
Source: Flight International