The Hindu : `Inferior parts causing MiG mishaps'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

`Inferior parts causing MiG mishaps'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE Feb. 7. News of more MiGs crashing in India than in Eastern Europe, and a strong Russian sales pitch on the MiG AT and the Franco-Russian advanced trainer marked the third day of the Aero India trade show here on Friday.

Despite being the last "trade day'' before the show opens to the public on Saturday, `Day 3' took its time to heat up. But when it did, it brought forth the admission that substandard parts could be one reason why India's MiG 21s were crashing.

MiG officials also said at a press conference that they had given the Indian Government "data'' that showed more accidents were occurring in India than in Eastern Europe. Speaking in Russian, Vladimir Barkovskiy, First Deputy General of the company, said that there were only two certified vendors of MiG parts: the MiG group itself, and the Rosoboronexport company.

The Russians, however, declined to comment on whether the Indian Air Force was sourcing spare parts from non-certified vendors.

They also made a strong pitch for India to consider the MiG AT advanced trainer, which the MiG Corporation had developed along with two French companies — Snecma Moteurs and Thales Avionics. As India's AJT deal continues to hang fire, the MiG AT is flying at the air show. MiG officials claimed the aircraft had features superior to all other advanced trainers in the market. The MiG AT was also the only trainer that had a "three channel digital fly-by-wire'' flight control system, they said.

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`Inferior parts causing MiG mishaps'