Russian Radars on MiG-29K Jets: The Indian Navy has started fast work to change the radar systems on its MiG-29K fighter jets. This move came after a serious security leak showed big problems in the Russian-made radars used on these planes. The leak came out in October 2025 and exposed deep faults in the Zhuk-ME radar system. These radars act as the main “eyes” of the fighter jets. The leaked data showed the radars do not work well in India’s hot and wet sea conditions.
Because of this shock, defence officials now want to replace the Russian radars with Indian-made systems. The Navy is looking closely at the Uttam Mk-2 AESA radar made in India. This decision is very important because the Navy must keep its current fighter jets strong for at least 15 more years. The new Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter program is delayed, so the old jets must stay ready for battle.
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Big Failures in Russian Radar
The trouble started after hackers from a group called ‘Black Mirror’ leaked secret papers from Rostec, the Russian defence company. These papers were dated September 2025. They showed that the Zhuk-ME radars perform up to 40% worse than promised when used in Indian sea weather. The documents revealed that the radars overheat when temperatures go above 40°C. They also rust fast because of salty sea air.
The radars fail often and break down in less than 200 hours of use. This is far below what the Navy needs. Because of this, only about 60% of the jets stay ready to fly at any time. Software problems also stop the radars from switching modes smoothly.
A senior Navy officer spoke about the issue but did not share his name. He said, “This isn’t just a technical hiccup; it’s a strategic vulnerability,”. The Navy uses 40 MiG-29K jets on aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. Weak radars mean weaker control over the Indo-Pacific seas.
The leak also brought serious claims that data was changed to win the original $2.5 billion deal. The papers suggest tests ignored hot and wet weather to hide faults. India now wants a Rs 500 crore warranty claim. Russia has rejected the claims and called the leak “fabricated.” This issue adds to older problems. Past reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General already warned about engine and airframe troubles. The radar failure now hurts long-range combat ability. This weakens India against modern threats like Chinese J-15 and J-35 fighter jets.
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To fix the problem, the Navy is now choosing Indian solutions under the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. The top choice is the Uttam Mk-2 AESA radar made by DRDO. This radar uses modern electronic scanning. It can track many targets at once with better accuracy. Another option is the HAWK-I 900 radar from private firm Data Patterns. This radar is lighter and could work as a short-term fix. Still, officials prefer Uttam because it already works with the Tejas fighter jet.
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The switch will not happen overnight. Engineers must make the radars strong enough for aircraft carrier use. They must survive salt fog and heavy vibration. Testing and flight approvals may take three to four years. Because of this, the first jets with new radars may only fly around 2030-31.
The delay in the TEDBF fighter makes this upgrade urgent. The Navy earlier planned to replace MiG-29K jets by 2035. Now this may happen only between 2038 and 2042. This creates a long gap where old jets must serve until 2040. To manage this, the Navy launched Project 45A. This is a Rs 8,000 crore upgrade plan to extend jet life and improve systems. Without new radars, experts warn the jets could become “paper tigers”.
