In early August 2011, the MiG corporation commenced the assembly of the first MiG-29K/KUB fighters under the contract made last spring for 29 more fighters of the type for the Indian Navy. As is known, the first contract for 16 MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters for the Indian Navy was signed in January 2004. Having developed the plane and completing its flight tests, MiG started full-rate production the MiG-29K/KUB that became the first members of the new MiG-29 family comprising the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-35 as well.

In August 2011, MiG Director General Sergei Korotkov said that 11 MiG-29K/KUB planes had been delivered under the first contract Ц the first six in late 2009 and five more in May 2011. The remainder will have been delivered by year-end 2011. At the same time, MiG began to implement the 29 options that firmed up in March last year.

This summer, units of the first MiG-29K/KUB airframes under a new contract were laid down in the fuselage assembly jig at MiG's Production Complex 2 in Moscow (previously known as the Banner of Labour plant of MAPO association). The fighters are being built in cooperation with several subcontractors. For instance, the fuselage nose section is being made by Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod and will be supplied to MiG's Production Complex 2. Here, the rest fuselage assemblies, including the basic load-bearing element Ц the central fuel tank, are made and the fuselage is assembled to be then sent to MiGТs Production Complex 1 in the town of Lukhovitsy out of Moscow, which manufactures the wings, empennage and composite structural elements and performs the final assembly and tests of the planes.

In addition to the work under the MiG-29K/KUB programme, MiG is fulfilling another major order placed by the Indian Defence Ministry, the one for upgrading 62 MiG-29 fighters in service with IAF. The first four aircraft are being upgraded by MiG Corp. while the two MiG-29UBs by Sokol plant. Initial MiG-29UPG made its maiden flight after upgrade on 4 February 2011 to be followed by the second one and the first MiG-29UPG-UM in May. Two more IAF singleseaters were upgraded at MiG's Production Complex 1 this summer and the second twinseater at SokolТs facility in Nizhny Novgorod. The remaining 56 aircraft will be upgraded in India using parts and units supplied by Russia.

An IAF pilot flew the first upgraded MiG-29UPG-UB fighter in Zhukovsky on 7 October. The sortie lasted for an hour and a half and was smooth. The Indian pilot appreciated the new capabilities of the upgraded aircraft. On the same day, two MiG-29UPG singleseaters upgraded by MiG Corp. flew from Zhukovsky to the airfield of the Russian Defence Ministry State Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk for continued tactical trials.

Another contract being fulfilled by MiG's Moscow-based facility is the construction of MiG-29 fighters for the Republic of Myanmar. According to MiG's Production Complex 2 Director Vyacheslav Artemyev, the first three aircraft were delivered this spring and three more were flight-tested in Lukhovitsy in August, after which they were headed for Myanmar too. The plant is assembling a next batch of MIG-29s for the Myanmarese. The line production method is used for assembly, ensuring higher effectiveness and quicker work. The production line set up in Production Complex 2 comprises six stations where fuselages are beefed up consecutively with the rest of structural components and systems.

Recurring to the MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne fighters, mention should be made that MiG expects the Russian government to award an order in the near future for a batch of aircraft like that for the Russian Defence Ministry. The aircraft are to be fielded with the independent carrierborne fighter regiment of the Russian NavyТs Northern Fleet. Talks also are under way on MiG-35 fighters for the Russian Air Force.

Besides, MiG's Engineering Centre Director Vladimir Barkovsky said in August that the first MiG-29M/M2 multirole fighter prototypes were to be completed by year-end, with the fighters being manufactured under a contract with foreign customer. They will be heavily commonised with the production-standard MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne fighters in terms of design, avionic and weapons.