Indian carrier's deck systems tested with MiG-29K prototype

A non-flying MiG-29K naval strike fighter prototype is being used totest aircraft handling systems in the former Soviet aircraft carrierbeing refitted for the Indian Navy at the Sevmash shipyard inSeverodvinsk, northern Russia.
Sevmash announced on 9 June that the MiG-29K was brought on board Vikramaditya (ex-Admiral Gorshkov) to trial flight-deck hardware, in particular the restraints that aredesigned to hold an aircraft in place until its engines generatesufficient thrust for take-off.
The yard's head of production for military-technical co-operation,Sergey Novoselov, said that successful testing of the restraints was acondition for the next contractual payment for the carrier refit.
Jane's understands that the test aircraft is a MiG-29Kprototype built in the late 1980s and used to demonstrate arrestedlandings and 'ski-jump' take-offs with the Kuznetsov-class carriersthen under construction for the Soviet Navy.