Mikoyan MiG-29 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "MiG-29" redirects here. For other uses, see MiG-29 (disambiguation). The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: "Fulcrum") is a twin-engine jet fighter aircraft MiG-29 designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the larger Sukhoi Su-27, was developed to counter new American fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.[6] The MiG-29 entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983. While originally oriented towards combat against any enemy aircraft, many MiG-29s have been furnished as multirole fighters capable of performing a number of different operations, and are commonly outfitted to use a range of air-to- surface armaments and precision munitions. The MiG-29 has been manufactured in several major variants, including the multirole Mikoyan MiG-29M and the navalised Mikoyan MiG-29K; the most advanced member of the family to date is the Mikoyan MiG-35. Later models frequently feature improved engines, glass cockpits with HOTAS-compatible flight controls, modern radar and IRST sensors, and considerably increased fuel capacity; some aircraft have also been equipped for aerial refuelling. Serbian Air Force and Air Defence MiG-29 Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the militaries of a number of former Soviet republics have continued to takeoff operate the MiG-29, the largest of which is the Russian Air Force. The Russian Air Force wanted to upgrade its existing Role Air superiority fighter, fleet to the modernised MiG-29SMT configuration, but financial difficulties have limited deliveries. The MiG-29 has also multirole fighter been a popular export aircraft; more than 30 nations either operate or have operated the aircraft to date, India being one National origin Soviet Union of the largest export operators of the type. As of 2013, the MiG-29 is in production by Mikoyan, a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) since 2006. Russia Manufacturer Mikoyan First flight 6 October 1977 Contents Introduction July 1983 Status In service 1 Development Primary users Russian Air Force 1.1 Origins Indian Air Force 1.2 Introduction and improvements 1.3 Replacement Ukrainian Air Force 2 Design Yugoslavia Air Force 2.1 Overview See Operators below for 2.2 Powerplant and range others 2.3 Cockpit Produced 1982–present 2.4 Sensors 2.5 Armament Number built 1,600+[1] 3 Operational history Unit cost US$11 million (MiG-29B, 3.1 Soviet Union 1984, 1999)[2][3] 3.1.1 Russia US$29 million (average 3.1.2 Ukraine 3.2 Export cost, 2009)[4][5] 3.2.1 India Variants Mikoyan MiG-29M 3.2.2 Yugoslavia and Serbia Mikoyan MiG-29K 3.2.3 Germany Mikoyan MiG-35 3.2.4 Poland 3.2.5 Iraq 3.2.6 Syria 3.2.7 Sudan 3.2.8 United States 3.2.9 Others 3.3 Potential operators 4 Variants 4.1 Original Soviet variants 4.2 Upgraded variants based on original airframe 4.3 Second generation variants with modified airframe 5 Operators 5.1 Former operators 6 Aircraft on display 6.1 In private ownership 7 Specifications (MiG-29) 8 Notable appearances in media 9 See also 10 References 10.1 Notes 10.2 Bibliography 11 External links Development Origins In the mid 1960s, the United States Air Force (USAF) encountered difficulties over the skies of Vietnam when supersonic fighter bombers like the F-105 Thunderchief which had been optimized for low altitude bombing were jumped and found to be vulnerable to older MiG-17s and more advanced MiGs which were much more maneuverable.[7] In order to regain the sort of air superiority enjoyed over Korea, the Americans refocused on air combat using the F-4 Phantom, while the MiG-23 was the Soviet response to the American multi-role fighter. Towards the end of the 1960s, the USAF started the "F-X" program to produce a fighter dedicated to air superiority, which led to the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle being ordered for production in late 1969.[8] At the height of the Cold War, a Soviet response was necessary to avoid the possibility of a new American fighter gaining a serious technological advantage over existing Soviet fighters. Thus the development of a new air superiority fighter became a priority.[6] In 1969, the Soviet General Staff issued a requirement for a Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel (PFI, roughly "Advanced Frontline Fighter").[9] Specifications were extremely ambitious, calling for long range, good short-field performance (including the ability to use austere runways), excellent agility, Mach 2+ speed, and heavy armament. The Russian aerodynamics institute TsAGI worked in collaboration with the Sukhoi design bureau on the aircraft's aerodynamics.[9] By 1971, however, 1971 Soviet studies determined the need for different types of fighters. The PFI program was supplemented with the Perspektivnyy Lyogkiy Frontovoy Istrebitel (LPFI, or "Advanced Lightweight Tactical Fighter") program; the Soviet fighter force was planned to be approximately 33% PFI and 67% LPFI.[10] PFI and LPFI paralleled the USAF's decision that created the "Lightweight Fighter" program and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and Northrop YF-17.[11] The PFI fighter was assigned to Sukhoi, resulting in the Sukhoi Su-27, while the lightweight fighter went to Mikoyan. Detailed design work on the resultant Mikoyan Product 9, designated MiG-29A, began in 1974, with the first flight taking place on 6 October 1977. The pre-production aircraft was first spotted by United States reconnaissance satellites in November of that year; it was dubbed Ram-L because it was observed at the Zhukovsky flight test center near the town of Ramenskoye.[12][13] The workload split between TPFI and LPFI became more apparent as the MiG-29 filtered into front line service with the Soviet Air Forces (Russian: Voenno- Vozdushnye Sily [VVS]) in the mid-1980s. While the heavy, long range Su-27 was tasked with the more exotic and dangerous role of deep air-to-air sweeps of NATO high-value assets, the smaller MiG-29 directly replaced the MiG-23 in the frontal aviation role. Features such as rugged landing gear and protective intake grates allowed MiG-29 operations from damaged or under-prepared airstrips that Soviet war planners expected to encounter during a rapid armored advance. Introduction and improvements In the West, the new fighter was given the NATO reporting name "Fulcrum-A" because the pre-production MiG-29A, which should have logically received this designation, remained unknown in the West at that time. The Soviet Union did not assign official names to most of its aircraft, although nicknames were common. Unusually, some Soviet pilots found the MiG-29’s NATO reporting name, "Fulcrum", to be a flattering description of the aircraft’s intended purpose, and it is sometimes unofficially used in Russian service.[14] The MiG-29B was widely exported in downgraded versions, known as MiG-29B 9-12A and MiG-29B 9-12B for Warsaw Pact and non- Warsaw Pact nations respectively, with less capable avionics and no capability for delivering nuclear weapons. Total production was about 840 aircraft. MiG-29 parked after a display flight at the Abbotsford Air In the 1980s, Mikoyan developed the improved MiG-29S to use longer range R-27E and R-77 air-to-air missiles. It added a dorsal Show, 1989 'hump' to the upper fuselage to house a jamming system and some additional fuel capacity. The weapons load was increased to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) with airframe strengthening. These features were included in new-built fighters and upgrades to older MiG- 29s.[15][16] Refined versions of the MiG-29 with improved avionics were fielded by the Soviet Union, but Mikoyan’s multirole variants, including a carrier-based version designated MiG-29K, were never produced in large numbers. Development of the MiG-29K carrier version was suspended for over a decade before being resumed; the type went into service with the Indian Navy's INS Vikramaditya, and Russian Navy's Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier. In the post-Soviet era, MiG-29 development was influenced by the Mikoyan bureau's apparent lesser political clout than rival Sukhoi. Mikoyan had developed improved versions of the MiG-29, called MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-29SMT. On 15 April 2014, the Russian Air Force placed an order for a batch of 16 MiG-29 SMT fighters.[17] There have been several upgrade programmes conducted for the MiG-29. Common upgrades include the adoption of NATO/ICAO MiG-29UB trainer standard-compatible avionics, service life extensions to 4,000 flight hours, safety enhancements, greater combat capabilities and reliability. In 2005 the Russian Aircraft Corporation “MiG” established a unified family of 4+ generation multirole fighters: the aircraft carrier–based MiG-29K, front-line MiG-29M and MiG-35 fighters. Replacement On 11 December 2013, Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin revealed that Russia is planning to build a new fighter to replace the MiG-29. The Sukhoi Su-27 and its derivatives are to be replaced by the Sukhoi PAK FA, but a different design is needed to replace the lighter MiGs. A previous attempt to develop a MiG-29 replacement, the MiG 1.44 demonstrator, failed in the 1990s. The concept came up again in 2001 with interest from India, but they later opted for a variant of the PAK FA. Air Force commanders have hinted at the possibility of an single-engine airframe that uses the PAK FA's engine, radar, and weapons primarily for Russian service.[18] Design Overview Sharing its origins in the original PFI requirements issued by TsAGI, the MiG-29 has broad aerodynamic similarities to the Sukhoi Su-27, however, there are some notable differences.