Russian-made MiG-29Ks demonstrate Indian aircraft carrier cross-deck capacity (VIDEO)

India's Navy has held a major event aboard its aircraft carriers in the Arabian sea, during which the force's operational readiness was assessed and demonstrated.

As part of the country's Naval Commanders Conference, attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, two MiG-29K fighter jets produced in Russia took off simultaneously from the Indian aircraft carriers Vikramaditya and Vikrant and landed cross-deck, footage released by the country’s navy has shown.

The maneuver – which was conducted to show the navy’s operational readiness – was a key part of the naval conference, which concluded last Friday. 

The twin carrier operations were reportedly conducted to demonstrate that INS Vikrant – India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, commissioned in September 2022 – has been fully integrated into naval operations. The Vikramaditya was purchased from Russia in 2004 after years of negotiations for $2.35 billion and commissioned in 2013.

The aircraft carrier was originally built as ‘Baku’ by the Soviet Union and commissioned in 1987. The Russian-made MiG-29K has been a mainstay in the Indian Navy since 2009.

During the conference, Singh mentioned recent incidents in the Middle East and the adjoining seas and stressed the leadership role expected of the navy in ensuring peace in the Indian Ocean Region, according to a report in The Hindu.

The Indian Navy has stepped up operations in the Arabian Sea amid increasing volatility along the crucial Gulf of Aden and Red Sea shipping lanes. While Yemeni Houthi rebels have vowed to prevent ships from delivering weapons for Israel amid its siege of Gaza, incidents of piracy and hostage-taking have also increased. As a result, India is expected to lose billions in exports this fiscal year.

Last week, the Indian Navy rescued the crew of a Liberian-owned and Barbados-flagged vessel that was hit by missiles fired by Houthi rebels near the port city of Aden, Yemen. Three people were killed and several others were severely wounded in the attack on the vessel ‘True Confidence’. Several injured sailors were provided with medical assistance and transported to nearby Djibouti by the Indian warship INS Kolkata.

Earlier, the same warship assisted another merchant vessel, the Liberian-flagged container carrier MSC Sky II, which caught fire after being hit by a projectile, also near Aden.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack. In recent weeks, the US and a coalition of allies have struck Houthi targets in Yemen and formally designated the militia as a terrorist group. India has also deployed several warships and reconnaissance aircraft amid its expanded role as a “net security provider” in the region.