India is set to purchase 33 Russian fighter jets as well as upgrade another 59 planes following approval by the Indian government. The deal geared at beefing up its air force as the country continues to face off with its various neighbors.
The approval given last week is for 21 MiG-29 planes and a dozen Su-30 jets which will together cost $2.43 billion as well as the upgrade of 59 MiG-29s. The green light for the Russian planes followed a visit to Moscow last month by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh where he urged his hosts to speed up deliveries, officials said.
Additionally, the purchase of air-to-air missiles developed indigenously was approved especially as the Indian gridlock with China hits an all-time high. Tensions between India and China are at their highest in years following a clash last month in a disputed stretch of the border in the western Himalayas in which India lost 20 soldiers.
