MiG-29K fighter aircraft makes historic night landing on INS Vikrant

A MiG-29K fighter jet made its first night landing on its own aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, achieving a historic milestone for the Indian Navy. An Indian Navy spokesperson said this was an indication of the momentum taken towards aatmanirbharta.

The Navy said the night landing trial demonstrated the determination, skill and professionalism of the INS Vikrant crew and naval pilots, adding that it was a challenging success.

The night landing of the MiG-29K aircraft took place on 24 May when INS Vikrant was sailing in the Arabian Sea. Congratulating the Indian Navy on the successful first night landing test, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh wrote, “This remarkable achievement is a testament to the skill, perseverance and professionalism of the Vikrant crew and naval pilots. Kudos to them.”

The aircraft carrier is the country's first self-built warship, M/s Cochin Shipyard Ltd and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 2 September 2022. It is currently undergoing flight certification and flight integration tests with rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft to achieve combat readiness. The landing of the MiG-29K brought the carrier one step closer to full operational capability.