The Indian Air Force’s Base Repair Depot (BRD) in Nashik has achieved a significant milestone by successfully carrying out the first-ever indigenous overhaul of the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K ejection seat. The development marks an important boost for India’s self-reliance efforts in the defence sector, reducing the Navy’s dependence on Russian maintenance facilities for a critical safety component. The overhauled ejection seat was officially handed over on 13 May 2026 during a ceremony attended by senior officers from both the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

BRD Nashik has traditionally handled major overhaul and maintenance work for MiG-29 and Su-30MKI fighter aircraft, along with their associated systems and components. Over the years, the depot has built advanced technical expertise, specialised infrastructure, and strong repair capabilities to support these frontline combat platforms. This experience proved vital in enabling the depot to take on the technically demanding task of restoring the MiG-29K ejection seat system.

The Indian Navy had to send these ejection seats to Russia for servicing and overhaul, leading to longer turnaround times and reliance on foreign support. Drawing upon its experience with the Su-30MKI ejection seat system, BRD Nashik developed the required overhaul process for the naval MiG-29K variant within India itself. The newly developed overhaul methodology underwent extensive evaluation and received certification from the Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness (RCMA), ensuring it met strict operational and safety standards.

The formal transfer ceremony in Nashik was attended by Air Marshal Yalla Umesh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Maintenance Command, and Vice Admiral Rahul Gokhale, Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command. Their presence highlighted the strategic importance of the achievement and reflected growing cooperation between the armed forces in strengthening indigenous defence capabilities.

This accomplishment aligns closely with India’s broader Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which aims to expand domestic capability across critical defence sectors. By establishing local overhaul capability for such an essential pilot safety system, the armed forces can improve operational readiness, shorten maintenance cycles, and reduce external dependency.

Officials clarified that the current breakthrough is limited to the overhaul and servicing of the ejection seat, and not its full-scale manufacturing in India. However, the success of the project could pave the way for greater indigenous development and production capabilities in the future. The MiG-29K serves as a key carrier-based fighter aircraft for the Indian Navy and operates from aircraft carriers including INS Vikramaditya. Its ejection seat is one of the most crucial onboard safety systems, designed to protect pilots during emergencies and combat situations.

By gaining the ability to overhaul this system domestically, India not only strengthens the reliability of its naval aviation fleet but also reinforces long-term defence sustainability. The achievement by BRD Nashik represents an important step toward building a stronger and more resilient indigenous military maintenance ecosystem.