India considera realizar o up-grade completo da frota de Mirage 2000, Jaguars e MiG 29.

India plans to upgrade its fighters

Fonte: Defense India

India is upgrading its MiG-27 fighters to sharpen their strike capabilities, officials said on Wednesday, even as experts say the recent Mumbai attacks have exposed the country's need to modernise its defence forces.

Although the upgrade was planned well ahead of the attacks, officials said the defence ministry wants to speed up modernisation of its forces to tackle any future security threat.

The upgrading comes at a time when tension runs high with Pakistan over Mumbai and India is saying it has all options open to deal with "terror outfits" in Pakistan.

India is spending $92 million to develop the fighters with precise navigational equipment, better weapons aiming and accurate ranging sensors for hitting ground targets.

India is looking to spend $30 billion on imports over the next five years to modernise its largely Soviet-era arms and is also trying to strengthen its navy by introducing new weapons systems.

The MiG-27 aircraft was originally built in the former Soviet Union in the mid-1970s before it was licenced to be produced in India.

India, fast becoming one of the world's biggest arms importers, wants to modernise its air force, the fourth largest in the world, to cope with possible security threats in the region, security experts said.

India is also considering upgrading of its other fighter fleet, including Mirage 2000s, Jaguars and MiG 29s, ahead of procuring the new generation Sukhoi-30MKIs, officials said.

It has also invited bids for a contract to supply 126 multi-role fighter jets, potentially worth more than $10 billion.

Nota do blog: A Força Aérea Indiana pretende seriamente realizar o up-grade de sua ATUAL frota de caças uma vez que a concorrência para a compra de 126 caças que devem substituir a frota atual, tem deslinde previsto somente para 2010 com entrega das primeiras aeronaves prevista para 2014. Além disso, as contantes escaramuças com o vizinho Paquistão ensejam a iniciativa de prontidão e modernização das forças armadas do País.