 The aircraft has been modified for aircraft carrier operation by hardening the undercarriage.It also has much better 'over-the-nose' vision to make it easy to land aboard a carrier at a high angle of attack.Modifications made for Indian Navy requirement featured Zhuk-ME radar, RD-33MK engine, combat payload up to , 13 hardpoints (inclusive of the multi-lock bomb carriers), additional fuel tanks situated in dorsal spine fairing and wing LERXs, increased total fuel capacity by 50% comparing to first variant of MiG-29 and an updated 4-channel digital fly-by-wire flight control system.