CAG raps navy over MiG 29K fighter aircraft deal

Slamming the Navy for finalising a deal for MiG 29K naval fighter aircraft without their weapons package, a CAG report today said the maritime force has now chosen a missile with an "unsatisfactory track record" in the Indian Air Force.

In its report tabled in Parliament, the government auditor said the "Indian Navy followed a flawed approach in acquiring new fighter aircraft by not finalising the associated weapon package with the contract for the aircraft."

"11 out of the 16 MiG 29K aircraft worth Rs3,405 crore have been delivered in 2009 and May 2011. No armament contracted for was delivered till October 2010 adversely affecting the operational capabilities of the aircraft," the report said.

India has finalised a deal in 2004 with Russia to procure 16 MiG 29Ks as part of the contract for the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier. The maritime fighters are deployed in Goa at navy's INS Hansa base.

On the issue of the Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile acquired by the navy, the auditor said, "One such missile was acquired by the IAF between 1999 and 2002. However, the serviceability status of the missile in evidence prior to the navy contract of 2006, has been poor," it said.

The CAG said even after a 51 months delay in finalising the weapon package of the aircraft, the navy "failed to adopt an integrated approach to utilise the database of IAF and ended up procuring 40 such missiles worth $21.88 million whose service was found unreliable by the IAF."