The Mikoyan MiG-29 "Fulcrum"

   MIKOYAN 9-12 MIG-29 (FULCRUM-A):
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   spec                    metric              english
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   wingspan                11.36 meters        37 feet 3 inches
   length                  17.32 meters        56 feet 10 inches
   height                  4.73 meters         15 feet 6 inches

   empty weight            10,900 kilograms    24,030 pounds
   loaded weight           18,500 kilograms    40,785 pounds

   max speed at altitude   2,450 KPH           1,520 MPH / 1,320 KT
   service ceiling         17,000 meters       55,775 feet
   range (internal fuel)   1,500 kilometers    930 MI / 810 NMI
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The aircraft has three stores pylons under each wing, for a total of six. In the air-superiority role, it carries a mix of two "beyond visual range (BVR)" "R-27R / AKU-470" semi-active radar homing (SARH) air-to-air missiles (AAMs), with the NATO designation of "AA-10 Alamo-A", and four "R-60 (NATO AA-8 Aphid)" AAMs or "R-73 (NATO AA-11 Archer)" heat-seeking short-range "dogfighting" AAMs.

The AA-11 is a potent weapon, an "off-boresight" missile that doesn't have to be pointed at a target before launch, instead being cued to the target by a sight mounted on the pilot's helmet. The Soviets were well ahead of the west in developing an off-boresight AAM and helmet-mounted sight. The AA-11 is a very agile weapon and its seeker has a wide field of view, with excellent discrimination against confounding sources of heat or countermeasures flares. The AA-11 is far superior to and replaced the AA-8 in Soviet-Russian service, but the AA-11 was only exported in relatively limited numbers, and so foreign MiG-29 users often had to make do with the AA-8.

The 9-12 MiG-29 may also occasionally carry a single long-range "R-27B (NATO AA-10 Alamo-B)" heat-seeking missile in place of one of the R-27R Alamo-As. While the R-27R Alamo-A is regarded as roughly comparable to contemporary Sparrow or Skyflash BVR AAMs and so now is a generation or two behind the times, the R-27B Alamo-B does give the MiG-29 the interesting capability of engaging an adversary from BVR without any tell-tale radar scans. All these AAMs are regarded as fine weapons, and are said to be far more tolerant of rough handling and poor maintenance than their Western counterparts.

The outboard pylon on each wing is reserved for AAMs and cannot be used to carry attack stores. The inboard pylon on each wing is "wet" and can be used to carry a 1,150 liter (303 US gallon) external tank. A 1,500 liter (396 US gallon) external tank can be mounted on the centerline for ferry flights.

Although the 9-12 MiG-29 lacks the combat avionics systems for the strike role, it can be fitted with various mixes of dumb bombs and unguided rocket pods, and it is believed that some MiG-29 squadrons were equipped with the RN-40 tactical nuclear weapon.

The 9-12 MiG-29 is fitted with two sensors, including a Phazotron "N-019 (NATO Slot Back)" pulse-Doppler multimode radar, and an "infrared search and track (IRST)" sensor combined with a laser rangefinder. The sensor systems are capable, but they are regarded as a generation behind their Western counterparts, in particular lacking sophisticated software to give them operational flexibility and ease of use, increasing pilot workload and fatigue. They are also less reliable, and more difficult to test, maintain, and repair.

Western pilots flying the 9-12 MiG-29 find using its systems to locate and lock up on a target very tiresome. However, in practice a Soviet pilot would not normally rely primarily on the aircraft's own sensors to perform an intercept. The MiG-29 has a datalink to allow it to receive inputs from a ground control intercept (GCI) station or an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft. This was in accordance with Soviet air-defense doctrine, which strongly emphasized centralized control, though the current Russian Air Force now places more emphasis on initiative and independent operation.

Cockpit layout for the 9-12 MiG-29 is generally regarded as middling to poor, even by the standards of the era in which it was designed. It is an analog layout, though it does feature a head-up display (HUD) and has limited "hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS)" controls. In some compensation, the MiG-29's cockpit layout does have a clear evolutionary relationship with those of the MiG-21 and MiG-23, easing pilot conversion.

In another compensation, a MiG-29 pilot sits on one of the best ejection seats in the world, the Zvezda "K-36D". This is a rocket-powered ejection seat that clamps the pilot into place with restraints and uses twin pop-out booms to stabilize the seat's flight. The West got an impressive advertisement for the K-36D at the Paris Air Show in 1989, when pilot Anatoly Kvotchur had to leave his MiG-29 in a big hurry after losing an engine due to a birdstrike. The ejection seat got him out neatly with split seconds before the aircraft smashed into the ground and turned into a fireball.

* The 9-12 MiG-29 is very agile, though this means it can be a challenge to fly, at least if the pilot wants to get the most out of the aircraft. While aerodynamically very sophisticated, it lacks the advanced fly-by-wire (FBW) flight controls of its Western counterparts, meaning that much more of the workload has to be taken care of by the "meat computer" inside the pilot's skull.

The flight controls are designed to impose no limits on what risks the pilot can take with the aircraft, with the stick bounded by stops indicating "soft limits" that the pilot can override if desired. On the other hand, the MiG-29 doesn't impose more risks on the pilot than necessary. It gives plenty of warning before departing controlled flight, and it does not spin easily. When it does spin, the spin can be almost always be easily corrected by neutralizing the controls. The MiG-29 has good handling at low speeds and remains controllable at very high angles of attack.

The MiG-29 is regarded as more agile than its Western counterpart, the F-16A, and a particularly dangerous adversary in a low-speed turning fight, but has poor range. The designers were aware of this limitation, since MiG-29's design requirements specified an aircraft that would be used as a short-range interceptor or a battleground air-superiority fighter operating from rough forward fields. It has still been sometimes described as a "fighter for use over the airfield beacon".

* Two subvariants of the 9-12 MiG-29 were built. The "9-12A MiG-29A" was intended for export to Warsaw Pact allies. It is almost identical to the standard 9-12 MiG-29, but doesn't have wiring for nuclear stores, and may have a different "identification friend or foe (IFF)" system and a simplified radar system.

The "9-12B MiG-29B" was intended for exports to nations outside the Warsaw Pact. It is a further simplification of the standard 9-12 MiG-29, with the IFF system and datalink removed, and a simplified radar installed. While total production quantities of MiG-29s are unclear, it appears that a total of about 840 9-12 MiG-29s and subvariants were built for Frontal Aviation use and for export.

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[3] TWO-SEAT 9-51 MIG-29UB / 9-13 MIG-29 FULCRUM-C & MIG-29S SERIES

* Although the MiG-29's handling characteristics are basically docile, it is a high-performance aircraft and capable of some impressive tricks in the hands of a well-trained pilot. To assist in pilot training, the MiG OKB developed a tandem two-seat operational conversion trainer, with the designation "9-51 MiG-29UB".

The second cockpit was not raised significantly, as that would have affected performance. As a result, the back-seat instructor has a poor forward view, but a pop-up periscope to compensate. Some fuel capacity was deleted to make space for the back-seat cockpit, and since the 9-12 MiG-29 was not noted for its range in the first place, there was no thought of making the MiG-29UB combat-capable. The N-019 radar was deleted, to be replaced by a simulator to give trainees a feel for the real thing. This gives the MiG-29UB a smaller nose that arguably improves its appearance. The chaff-flare dispenser strakes were not fitted.

The "UB" suffix is misleading, since it stands for "Uchebno-Boevoi (Trainer-Combat)" when the variant is really a pure trainer. NATO swallowed this misinformation, designating the type "Fulcrum-B" rather than assigning it the "M"-series codename normally given to trainers, such as "Midget" or "Mongol". Russian crews call the MiG-29UB the "Sparka", a general name for a two-seat trainer.

* While the 9-12 MiG-29 was going into volume production, the MiG bureau had been considering a refinement of the type, the "9-13", with the first new-build prototype flying in 1986. It is believed to have been preceded by several modified 9-12 MiG-29s to test various improvements.

The new variant retained the "MiG-29" designation, but it seemed visibly different enough from the 9-12 variant to be given a new designation of "Fulcrum-C" by NATO. The main difference was a swollen spine, which led Soviet MiG-29 pilots to call the variant the "Gorbatyi (Hunchback)".

Western analysts interpreted the swollen spine as accommodation for increased fuel capacity in order to boost the 9-12 MiG-29's limited range. In fact, the fuel capacity increase of the 9-13 MiG-29 was modest, and most of the expanded space was used to house a "Gardeniya" active jammer module. The updated avionics suite also led to modifications of the wingtips and addition of antennas to the tail. About 200 9-13 MiG-29s were apparently built, with initial introduction to service in 1986. They were not exported, due to worries about the security of the countermeasures system.

* The MiG OKB continued to make further tweaks with the 9-13 line that resulted in the "MiG-29S", which retained the NATO "Fulcrum-C" designation as the external appearance remained largely unchanged.

There was actually a range of different MiG-29S subvariants. It appears that the initial push to develop this line of improved MiG-29s was triggered in 1985, when the Soviet security and intelligence service, the KGB, discovered that Alexander Tolkachev, chief designer of the Phazotron radar-design bureau, had been selling the organization's secrets to the US Central Intelligence Agency.

Tolkachev's betrayal compromised the radar systems of a number of aircraft, including the MiG-25 and MiG-29, making these aircraft much more vulnerable to countermeasures. Some claim that Tolkachev had actually gone so far as to sabotage the design of the MiG-29's N-019 radar, as it took a long time to get right, but this sounds more like a convenient excuse.

In any case, the VVS needed to fix the problem, and a modified "N-019M" radar was quickly fitted to the 9-13 MiG-29, along with other modifications such as an improved active jammer. This was the "9-13S MiG-29S", but it was only built in small quantities. An export version, the "MiG-29SE", was built in prototype form and offered with different options for foreign buyers, but there were no takers. A few 9-12 and 9-13 MiG-29s were also fitted to carry various "smart" air-to-ground munitions and designated the "9-13SM MiG-29SM".

Another one of these variants featured a bolt-on inflight refueling probe, and was designated "MiG-29SD", where the "D" is believed to have stood for "dozaprahvka (refueling)". This variant was the basis for the "MiG-29Ns" sold to Malaysia in the mid-1990s. The Malaysian MiG-29s were given updates in service, particularly to fit them with Western-type IFF, navigation systems, and landing systems. They retained Russian-built radar, but may have been fitted with an improved version.

The whole subject of the MiG-29S series is thoroughly confusing. There was also a "9-16 MiG-29E" effort that resulted in a prototype or two that remains equally obscure. To make matters even muddier, some of these variants, or at least their designations, would be revived a decade later, as is discussed below.

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[4] 9-15 MIG-29M / 9-31 MIG-29K

* The MiG OKB had greater ambitions for the MiG-29 than simply updating the basic aircraft. They wanted to greatly extend its capabilities, and in particular turn it into a true multirole combat aircraft. The first step to build such a multirole MiG-29 was the "9-14 MiG-29M", which first flew in 1985. It was a 9-13 MiG-29 carrying an optional targeting pod for the ground attack role.

This effort was abandoned, as attention had turned to a comprehensive redesign of the aircraft, resulting the first flight of an initial prototype "9-15 MiG-29M" on 25 April 1986. It was followed by a more representative MiG-29M prototype with production specification RD-33K engines, which first flew on 1 November 1989.

The new RD-33K engines provided 5,500 kilograms (12,125 pounds) static thrust and 8,800 kilograms (19,400 pounds) afterburning thrust each. Apparently the engines also had an "emergency" afterburning mode that could increase thrust to 9,400 kilograms (20,725 pounds) for very short periods. The engines also featured greater reliability and easier maintenance.

While the MiG-29M was hard to distinguish from MiG-29S, the airframe was heavily redesigned, the MiG OKB claiming that it was "different in every respect." The LERXs were redesigned and the intake louvres on top of the LERXs eliminated, with the solid intake doors replaced by mesh grille doors. This allowed the fit of a new fuel tank scheme with a large increase in capacity, increasing range by a third. In the time-honored Soviet tradition of "maskirovka (deception)", early MiG-29Ms apparently had louvres painted on the LERXs to camouflage the fact that they were new-model aircraft.

The larger fuel tanks led to a reduction in size of the ammunition box for the 30 millimeter cannon from 149 to 100 rounds, but this was not felt to be much of a penalty. The cannon had proven both accurate and hard-hitting in practice, and did not really require the larger ammunition supply.

The MiG-29M had a swollen spine, not as prominent as that of the 9-13 MiG-29, but enough to lead NATO to think at first that the MiG-29M was just another Fulcrum-C variant. The spine accommodated a chaff-flare dispenser system, and so the MiG-29M was not fitted with the strake chaff-flare dispensers.

The MiG-29M also featured modified wings and tail, with a distinctive small dogtooth between the LERX and the wing, and had a single enlarged ventral dive brake, instead of the ventral and dorsal airbrakes of the 9-12 MiG-29. The result was an aerodynamically cleaner and even more agile aircraft.

The MiG-29M incorporated new airframe assemblies of lithium-aluminum alloy and composite materials to reduce weight, simplify manufacture, and increase the useful internal volume of the aircraft. Unfortunately, despite the great expense of the lithium-aluminum alloy assemblies, they did not give the MiG-29M the hoped-for weight reductions. The MiG-29M was still significantly heavier than the 91-2 MiG-29, and so the landing gear was reinforced, while the single drag chute was replaced by twin drag chutes, released from a new "beavertail" fitting between the engine exhausts. Two side-by-side chutes were used instead of one big chute as a larger chute would have dragged on the runway.

* The MiG-29M's systems were substantially updated. It had improved IFF and active jammer systems, as well as an electronic FBW control system. The FBW system was based on analog electronics, probably because a fully digital system was a bit ahead of Soviet capabilities at the time, but the MiG bureau played up the simplicity, reliability, and resistance to electromagnetic interference of the analog system. The FBW system provided triple redundancy for roll and yaw control and quadruple redundancy for pitch control, while still allowing the pilot to "redline" the aircraft.

Cockpit systems were modernized to reduce pilot workload. The cockpit included two monochrome CRT displays and much more capable HOTAS controls, while the pilot was given an improved helmet-mounted sight. The pilot's seat was raised to provide a better view, and as a result the canopy was distinctively bulged compared to earlier MiG-29s.

The MiG-29M featured a Phazotron "N-010 Zhuk-M" multi-mode radar system. The N-010 features a flat slotted planar antenna instead of a dish antenna; about 25% greater range; much improved processing power and software; and several new modes, including terrain-following and new air-to-ground capabilities. The N-010 radar was fitted into a smaller, reprofiled nose radome. The IRST / laser rangefinder was to be replaced by an improved system that also incorporated a boresighted TV camera and a laser target designator, but it does not appear this piece of gear was ever actually fitted.

The sensor system enhancements made the MiG-29M a true multirole aircraft. It was fitted with a total of eight stores pylons, four under each wing, as opposed to the total of six of previous MiG-29 variants. The wings were strengthened to permit a total warload of 4,500 kilograms (9,920 pounds). The two inboard pylons on each wing could carry a maximum of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) each, while the two outboard pylons could carry up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) each.

In addition to stores carried by the earlier variants, the MiG-29 could carry "smart" weapons. Typical smart munitions included the TV-guided "Kh-29T" and laser-guided "Kh-29L" missiles, both designated "AS-14 Kedge" by NATO and basically the same weapon with different seeker heads, or the TV-guided "KAB-500Kr" or laser-guided "KAB-500L" 500-kilogram (1,100 pound) glide bombs.

The MiG-29M could also carry the advanced "R-77" (NATO "AA-12 Adder") air to air missile, sometimes referred to as the "AMRAAMski" as it is comparable to the US AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. The R-77 has a range of about 100 kilometers (60 miles) and a fully active radar seeker for "fire and forget" operation.

The development of the MiG-29M coincided with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and though six MiG-29M prototypes were flown, the type did not enter production for the Russian Air Force, as the service remained more or less fixated on the Su-27 during the Yeltsin era. The MiG-29M effort sputtered along on various hopes into the mid-1990s, and then finally died. Attempts to develop an export version, the "MiG-29ME", were not successful.

Interestingly, while some OKB officials tried to play up the MiG-29ME as a "MiG-33", these efforts were loudly and publicly denounced by Belyakov, who took pride in the MiG-29. This was in sharp contrast to the dubious "designation games" played with excessive enthusiasm by the rival Sukhoi organization.

* The MiG OKB also developed a carrier-based advanced MiG-29 variant, the "9-31 MiG-29K", in parallel with the MiG-29M. The 9-31 MiG-29K could be considered a "navalized" MiG-29M, differing in the fit of ruggedized landing gear; an arresting hook; new, extended, hydraulically-folding wings, with a double slotted flap system to improve low-speed landing; corrosion protection, including navalized RD-33K engines; and a retractable inflight refueling probe. Production aircraft were to have a fully automatic carrier landing system.

Work on the MiG-29K began in 1984. The initial development prototype was modified from an older MiG demonstrator and designated the "MiG-29KVP". It lacked folding wings and double-slotted flaps, and may not have had ruggedized landing gear. The MiG-29KVP was used to demonstrate arrested landings, as well as "ski-jump" takeoffs, as the Soviets were having troubles developing catapult systems for the carriers they were building. Tests were apparently mostly conducted on a land-based replica of a carrier deck in the Crimea, as it could not risk a true carrier landing without reinforced landing gear. The first flight of a true MiG-29K prototype was on 23 June 1988, and it was followed by a second prototype.

The fall of the USSR meant the MiG-29K also didn't enter production. A two-seat trainer designated the "9-62 MiG-29KU", with a stepped independent rear cockpit for the flight instructor to provide an adequate view on steep carrier landings, is believed to have reached mockup stage but was not built.

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[5] 9-17 MIG-29SMT / 9-51T MIG-29UBT

* The failure of the MiG-29M and MiG-29K to enter production meant lean times for the MiG OKB, whose fortunes seemed to be on a steady decline in the new Russia. Outside observers wondered of the great name of MiG might be headed for extinction, as it steadily withered during the 1990s while the Sukhoi organization was awarded new fighter contracts.

The pendulum appears to have swung back, however, and now the new "Rossiskaya Samoletostroitelnaya Korporatsiya MiG (RSK MiG)", as the revitalized organization has been refashioned under their new leader, Mikhail Korzuev, appears increasingly energetic, has been promoting a range of improved MiG-29 variants.

* While a ground-up redesign like the MiG-29M was out of the question, major improvements could be made with less drastic measures that could be implemented in either new-build aircraft or as upgrades to existing aircraft. The Russian Air Force wanted to upgrade upgrade over 400 existing MiG-29s, providing a strong incentive.

The result was the "9-17 MiG-29SMT", which can be considered a revival and extension of the various MiG-29S upgrade efforts of a few years earlier. The MiG-29SMT features a glass cockpit based on that of the MiG-29M, but with twin 15 by 20 centimeter (6 by 8 inch) full color flat panel LCDs, instead of the smaller monochrome CRTs using the MiG-29M, as well as two smaller monochrome LCDs.

Modern HOTAS controls were implemented as well, and the MiG-29SMT also features a MIL STD-1553B compatible digital databus to link the cockpit and the avionics systems. An advanced navigation system, using laser gyros and a satellite positioning system receiver, has been fitted, as well as built-in diagnostic systems to ease maintenance.

To deal with the range issue, the MiG-29SMT features a particularly swollen "hunchback" spine, and can also be fitted with a bolt-on inflight refueling probe. The spine terminates in a beavertail like that of the MiG-29M, which can accommodate one or two parachutes as required by aircraft load.

The MiG-29SMT retains the top-and-bottom airbrake scheme of the 9-12 MiG-29, though the dorsal airbrake is larger, and also retains the old scheme of chaff-flare dispenser strakes. While there are no other major modifications to the airframe, old MiG-29s upgraded to the MiG-29SMT specification would be refurbished to give them 20 years of airframe life.

Unrefueled range of the MiG-29SMT is cited as 2,200 kilometers (1,370 miles) without external tanks, almost half again as great as that of 9-12 MiG-29. Multirole capabilities are provided by an improved N-019M Slot Back radar, with greater range, wider field of view, and the ability to track ten targets at once. It appears that the MiG-29SMT can carry an external targeting pod, and can certainly carry reconnaissance pods. The MiG-29SMT can use all the advanced weapons that were qualified for the MiG-29M, with a total external stores load of 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds) on six stores pylons.

Although much has been loaded onto the MiG-29SMT's airframe compared to the original 9-12 MiG-29, the new variant's performance has not suffered and in fact appears to be improved, thanks to new, more powerful Klimov RD-43 engines with over 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds) afterburning thrust. However, it appears that most of the MiG-29SMTs built so far still have some variant of the RD-33, due to delays in engine production, but the two types of engines are mechanically compatible and engine upgrades should be straightforward.

Initial flight of the first MiG-29SMT prototype was on 29 November 1997, with Marat Alykov at the controls. This machine was a modification of a company prototype that had already been used in the MiG-29S effort, and did not include all the features expected for the "production" MiG-29SMT.

The first full-standard MiG-29SMT, also a conversion of a company demonstrator, performed its first flight on 14 July 1998, piloted by the MiG organization's new chief test pilot, Vladimir Gorbunov. This aircraft was demonstrated at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK in 1998.

* RSK MiG followed up the MiG-29SMT with a similar effort to produce a a second-generation two-seater, the "9-51T MiG-29UBT", essentially a company 9-51 MiG-29UB fitted with improvements developed for the MiG-29SMT.

The MiG-29UBT features a swollen spine to provide more fuel, with the larger dorsal airbrake and the beavertail of the MiG-29SMT, and also can be fitted with a bolt-on inflight refueling probe. The front-seater's cockpit layout is very much like that of the MiG-29SMT, but although the back-seater still has flight controls, the rear panel layout features a large CRT to display TV or infrared camera imagery provided by external pods.

While the MiG-29UBT can be used as a trainer, its focus is clearly for roles such as precision strike, with the back-seater targeting and guiding smart munitions while the pilot flies the aircraft. No radar system was fitted to the MiG-29UBT demonstrator, but RSK MiG clearly intends to fit any production aircraft with an advanced combat radar system in a modified nose.

* Russia's financial problems have made funding MiG-29 upgrades difficult. If the Russian Air Force has plans to upgrade their existing MiG-29s to the MiG-29SMT, they are now in a hazy state, and there is no evidence that the MiG-29UBT has fared any better.

RSK MiG hasn't given up, however. Russian Air Force pilots have given glowing reports on evaluations of the MiG-29SMT, and the update price is a quarter of that of a new fighter, while operating costs are less than two-thirds of a 9-12 MiG-29.

RSK MiG is promoting the MiG-29SMT as part of range of updates of increasing sophistication:

• The simplest upgrade revives the "MiG-29SD" designation, and more or less takes its cue from the MiG-29Ns sold to Malaysia, with the upgrade program providing an airframe overhaul, a bolt-on refueling probe, improved Russian radar, and Westernized avionics.

• The second-level upgrade revives the "MiG-29SM" designation. This upgrade features the fit of a console CRT and other improvements to support use of smart air-to-surface weapons.

• The "MiG-29SMT-1" is basically the current MiG-29SMT with the N-019M Slot Back radar, as well as Westernized avionics.

• The "MiG-29SMT-2" is similar, but incorporates the high-end N-010 Zhuk-M radar.

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[6] 9-41 MIG-29K / 9-47 MIG-29KUB / MIG-29M1 / MIG-29M2

* Along with upgrades, RSK MiG is also pushing new-build variants for export sales, and indeed has achieved some success with this effort, achieving a sale of a batch of "9-41 MiG-29Ks" to the Indian Navy for use on the carrier ADMIRAL GORSHKOV, which India has purchased from Russia.

The 9-41 MiG-29K can be described as a MiG-29SMT with the navalization features of the earlier 9-31 MiG-29K, such as longer, folding wings, though these appear to be somewhat different from those of the older MiG-29K; arresting gear; and RD-33-3M navalized engines, with corrosion protection. Both the prototypes for the 9-41 MiG-29K were actually modifications of the two old 9-31 MiG-29K prototypes, however.

The 9-41 MiG-29K apparently features folding tailplanes and a folding nose radome to further reduce the aircraft's storage footprint. Production aircraft may use the new, uprated RD-33-10M turbofan with 10,500 kilograms (23,150 pounds) thrust.

The variant also features a digital FBW system; N-010 Zhuk-M radar; state of the art Geofizika OLS-M optical-infrared imager and laser targeting system; helmet-mounted targeting system; radar homing and warning system; and eight stores pylons. India will fit an inertial navigation system, IFF, and countermeasures systems to their own specifications.

India also intends to buy a number of two-seat "9-47 MiG-29KUBs" as part of the order, essentially a navalized MiG-29UBT, fitted out in much the same way as the 9-41 MiG-29K with folding wings, arresting gear, and so on.

* In parallel with the 9-41 MiG-29K and the 9-47 MiG-29KUB, RSK MiG is also developing land-based counterparts in the form of the "MiG-29M1" single-seater and "MiG-29M2" two-seater. These aircraft are the same as their naval equivalents, except that they have lighter landing gear, and a drag chute instead of an arresting hook. They will retain folding wings, though customers can lock the wings open if desired.

The MiG-29M2 is a higher priority than the MiG-29M1, as RSK MiG is competing for a Malaysian requirement for a two-seat multi-role fighter. Initial flight of a prototype of this type, originally designated the "MiG-29MRCA (Multi-Role Combat Aircraft)", was on 26 September 2001. This machine was rebuilt from the fourth MiG-29M prototype. The MiG-29M1 remains a "paper plane" for the moment.

Finally, RSK MiG unveiled a demonstrator with vectored-thrust nozzles at the Moscow MAKS airshow in 2001. This aircraft, a modification of the sixth MiG-29M prototype, is designated the "MiG-29OVT (Otklanyayemi Vektor Tyagi / Deflected Thrust Vector)", and its RD-33 engines are to fitted with Klimov-designed nozzles that can rotate up to 15 degrees in any direction. It also has wingtip launch rails for short-range AAMs.

The demonstrator was fitted with dummy vectoring nozzles at MAKS. Initial flight of the MiG-29OVT with functional vectoring nozzles is expected in 2002. The vectoring nozzles may be fitted to the MiG-29M1 and MiG-29M2, but not to their naval counterparts, as the nozzles are not judged robust enough for carrier service.

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[7] MIG-29 IN FOREIGN SERVICE

* The Soviets heavily exported the MiG-29, and the Russian Republic has tried to continue that tradition. Exact export quantities are somewhat unclear, with different sources giving contrary information, but a rough outline can be constructed.

Of course, many Eastern European nations received the MiG-29:

• Bulgaria received 18 MiG-29s and 4 MiG-29UBs in 1990, with the type serving with two fighter regiments.

• Cuba is believed to have obtained a total of about 14 MiG-29s and two MiG-29UBs, with deliveries beginning in 1990.

• Czechoslovakia received a total of 18 MiG-29s and two MiG-29UBs, but the rest of a total order of 40 was not delivered. On the partition of Czechoslovakia into the Czech and Slovak Republics, the MiG-29s were evenly divided between them.

  The Czech Republic did not feel it was worthwhile to try to support an aircraft they possessed in such small numbers, and sold them to Poland. They are now committing to the SAAB 39 Gripen as their first-line fighter. The Slovak Republic, in contrast, liked the MiG-29, and obtained five more, including one MiG-29UB, in the mid-1990s.

• East Germany received 20 MiG-29s and 4 MiG-29UBs beginning in May 1988. 32 more were on order when the two Germanies were reunited, and this order was cancelled, with the Germans apparently paying a hefty penalty. The MiGs were absorbed into the Luftwaffe.

  These MiG-29s have not only been used for adversary training, they have been assigned first-line operational roles, as the Luftwaffe had nothing really comparable to them. Some of the German MiG-29s were also loaned to friendly nations, such as the US, for evaluation. The Luftwaffe MiG-29s have received a series of upgrades, as described later.

• Hungary received 22 MiG-29s and 6 MiG-29UBs beginning in 1993, as a form of debt repayment.

• Poland received a total of nine MiG-29s and three MiG-29UBs in 1989 and 1990, and as mentioned later purchased all the Czech Republic's stock. Apparently a few Polish MiG-29s were leased to the Israelis for a time for evaluation and adversary training.

• Romania received 14 MiG-29s and two MiG-29UBs in 1989. Apparently the survivors are being put through the extensive "Sniper" upgrade program, discussed later.

• Yugoslavia obtained 14 MiG-29s and two MiG-29UBs in 1987. All these aircraft ended up in Serbian hands after the partition of Yugoslavia, and a number have been shot down by Western forces operating against the Serbs.

The Russian Republic of course retains hundreds of MiG-29s, and the type is also operated by many of the other "successor states" of the Former Soviet Union:

• Belarus is believed to have roughly 80 MiG-29s in service, and sold a number of others to Peru.

• Kazhakstan obtained about 42 MiG-29s, with about half of them still in service and the remainder mothballed.

• Uzbekistan operates about 36 MiG-29s, with most of these aircraft still in service.

• Moldova inherited 34 MiG-29s, but sold them off to Yemen and the US, since Moldova lacked fighter pilots to fly the MiGs.

• Turkmenistan is believed to have a single regiment of 25 MiG-29s, with most of them still in service.

• The Ukraine is believed to have obtained 246 MiG-29s in the breakup of the USSR, with most of these aircraft still in service.

Other nations that obtained MiG-29s include:

• Bangladesh purchased six MiG-29s and two MiG-29UBs.

• Eritrea obtained possibly five MiG-29s and a single MiG-29UB, with about four of these aircraft left in service.

• India is a prominent user of the MiG-29, having obtained 72 MiG-29s and 6 MiG-29UBs, and possibly some attrition replacements as well. India is also ordering the new-production MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB, as described previously.

• Iran received 15 MiG-29s and two MiG-29UBs beginning in 1990, and received a number of others flown by defecting Iraqi pilots during the Gulf War.

• The Iraqis were also substantial users of the MiG-29, having obtained an estimated 50 before the Gulf War. Their service in the war was less than stellar, with a number destroyed on the ground and five shot down by Coalition forces. As mentioned above, several fled to Iran, with estimates ranging from 4 to 21. At least one more Iraqi MiG-29 was shot down during the ongoing military spats that followed the war.

• Malaysia ordered 18 MiG-29s, 16 of which were the MiG-29Ns with MiG-29S features mentioned earlier. These aircraft have been upgraded in service to feature Westernized avionics and add other improvements. The other two were MiG-29UBs, which were given the designation of "MiG-29UBN" though it appears that the only changes were some Westernized cockpit avionics. As mentioned, Malaysia wants to buy 14 more MiG-29s, with RSK MiG proposing the MiG-29M2.

• North Korea is believed to have obtained 25 MiG-29s and 5 MiG-29UBs beginning in 1988. Ten more MiG-29s were supplied in kit form in 1999 for local assembly. It is unclear if these were MiG-29SMTs.

• Peru bought at least 14 MiG-29s and two MiG-29UBs from Belarus.

• Syria is believed to have obtained at least 18 MiG-29s and two MiG-29UBs beginning in 1987. Some sources indicate they received several times that number.

• The US obtained 21 MiG-29s from Moldova for adversary training and evaluation. It is believed these aircraft have been mothballed.

• Yemen bought 12 MiG-29s from Moldova, but apparently the Yemenis didn't have good luck with them and returned the survivors.

RSK MiG has tried, with some success, to discourage sales of MiG-29s from one foreign user to another by tactfully saying that sales of spares for such aircraft would not be guaranteed. As a result, the buyers of such used MiG-29s tend to be foreign users who already have MiG-29s and have established themselves in the spares pipeline.

* Of course, with so many old MiG-29s in foreign hands, the need for upgrades is obvious. Luftwaffe MiG-29s led the way in being updated for compatibility with NATO operations.

A collaboration was formed in July 1993 between MiG and their Russian partners with Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) to refit the German MiG-29s with Western IFF and navigation systems, particularly GPS, and also improve aircraft reliability. The first modernized Luftwaffe MiG-29 was delivered in 1995. These modest updates are designated the "MiG-29G" for the single-seater and "MiG-29GT" for the two-seater.

The work for the Luftwaffe led to the establishment of a new unified service organization, the "MiG Aircraft Product Support (MAPS) Group", which is now promoting similar upgrades for MiG-29 operators in Eastern Europe.

Western firms have promoted their own upgrade programs. Romania is now modernizing their MiG-29s under the "Sniper" program, being conducted by DASA, Elbit, and Aerostar. RSK MiG has been even unhappier about such "unauthorized" upgrades, although the Russian organization is collaborating with DASA in MAPS.

BACK_TO_TOP

[8] MIG 1.44 / PAK-FA, THE NEXT GENERATION

* While the MiG OKB was working in a "step forward step back" fashion on second-generation MiG-29 concepts in the late 1980s and through the 1990s, they were also working in fits and starts on a true next-generation fighter under the "Multirole Tactical Fighter (Mnogofunktsionahll'nyy Frontovoi Istrebitel / MFI)" program.

The MFI program had been initiated in 1986 to counter Western efforts to develop next-generation fighters, such as the US "Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF)", which would become the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The MiG MFI design team was originally led by Grigoriy Sedov and later by Yuri Vorontnikov.

Initial MFI prototype construction began in 1989, with the prototype, the "MiG 1.44", finally rolled out in early 1994. It performed taxi trials later that year, and then the program finally bogged down to a halt and remained in darkness for the next several years. Rumors circulated in the West about the secret "MiG 1.42", along with speculations about its features.

However, work on the MFI was only dormant, not dead, and the type was finally unveiled in January 1999. The designation was announced as the "MiG 1.44", the MiG 1.42 code apparently having been only for the overall development program.

The MiG 1.44 looks something like a child of the MiG-29 and the Eurofighter Typhoon. The MiG 1.44 shares the Typhoon's canard layout, an unusual configuration by Russian standards, and the twin underslung engines. In general style, however, it clearly says "I am a MiG!", and by no means a Eurofighter copy.

   MIKOYAN MIG 1.44:
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________
 
   spec                    metric              english
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________

   wingspan                16.4 meters         53 feet 10 inches
   length                  21.7 meters         71 feet 2 inches
   normal loaded weight    28,000 kilograms    61,730 pounds
   max speed at altitude   2,500 KPH           1,550 MPH / 1,350 KT
   range                   4,500 kilometers    1,553 MI / 2,430 NMI
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________

The MiG 1.44 is made of steel alloy, aluminum-lithium alloy, and composites. Its lines reflect some degree of "stealth" design. A production version could be coated with "radar absorbing material (RAM)" to improve stealth. However, stealth is a relatively low priority in its design, ranked under performance and agility.

The MiG 1.44 is powered by twin Lyul'ka-Saturn AL-41F afterburning turbofans with an afterburning thrust of 17,840 kilograms (39,340 pounds) each. The engines give the MiG 1.44 a "supersonic cruise" capability. Some reports indicate that they have thrust-vectoring nozzles as well. The MiG 1.44 has twin-wheel nose gear that retracts backward, while the single-wheel main gear retracts forward.

In the production version, stores were to be carried in a weapons bay in the center fuselage, though the MiG 1.44 demonstrator does not have this bay. Munitions could also be carried on external stores pylons. The demonstrator is fitted with a GSh-301 30 millimeter cannon. Although advanced avionics have been considered for the production aircraft, the demonstrator lacks most combat avionics systems, though it does have an advanced FBW flight control system.

* The MiG 1.44 now appears to be a dead end. In 2001, the Russian government announced a next-generation fighter effort under the "Future Air Complex for Frontal Air Forces (Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks Frontovoi Aviatsyi / PAK-FA)" program, specifying an aircraft that could compete with the US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for service beginning in 2010.

A group of Russian industries led by Sukhoi and another group led by MiG and Yakovlev competed for the PAK-FA contract, and in late April 2002, the Russian government announced that the Sukhoi group had won the award. The government specified that MiG and Yakovlev would get workshares in the program, but the loss of the competition was still clearly a blow to MiG.

It may not have been a major blow. The VVS does not actually seem to be interested in procuring the PAK-FA in numbers any time soon, with upgrade of their existing aircraft remaining their top priority. Some observers believe the PAK-FA effort is being conducted by the Russian government to keep their aircraft industry up to date and attract foreign investment. The MiG organization may have lost this battle, but it is by no means certain they have lost the war.

BACK_TO_TOP

[9] COMMENTS, SOURCES, & REVISION HISTORY

* The current state of the MiG-29's evolution is confusing. The old Soviet state took secrecy to the point of lunacy, and although the new Russia is trying to be more open, things remain a bit disorganized and the stories coming out of Russia tend to reflect that condition. As a result, it is proper to view any current plans for the aircraft's modernization with a certain amount of skepticism.

Trying to untangle all the threads in the MiG-29 story was very much a headache. I managed to straighten them out to the extent that it all now makes some sense to me, but that's not the same as saying that I'm sure I've really got the facts completely right. Hopefully things will settle out and become clearer in a few years.

This is my first MiG writeup. I've long liked the MiG-29, and I was inspired to write about it when I bought a 132nd-scale diecast model of it from Postage Stamp Planes. It was a cheap item and I couldn't pass it up.

As it turned out, once I'd waded through the MiG-29's history, the model was a bit peculiar. It was MiG-29UB with AAMs, a configuration which has likely never been flown. It was also fitted with a mixed load of AA-8, AA-11, and AA-10 AAMs, which was a bit of an unusual configuration, though not outside the realm of possibility. The AAMs were very nicely done for the small scale, and the whole thing is still a pretty little piece and a nice buy for the price.

* Sources include:

• THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD MILITARY AIRCRAFT, edited by David Donald & Jon Lake, Barnes & Noble, 2000.

• "MiG-29 Variant Briefing" by Jon Lake, WORLD AIR POWER JOURNAL, Volume 36 Spring 1999, 108:135.

• "MiG-1.44: Russia's 'Raptor'?" by Yefim Gordon & Dmitri Komissarov, WORLD AIR POWER JOURNAL, Summer 1999, 18:22.

• "Tomorrow's 'Fulcrum'" by Jon Lake, COMBAT AIRCRAFT, December 2000, 28:39.

• "New MiG-29 Export Versions Poised For Maiden Flight" by Piotr Butowski, FLUG REVUE, November 2001.

• "New 'Fulcrum' Family: MiG-29K, KUB, M1, M2, & OVT" by Piotr Butowski, INTERNATIONAL AIR POWER REVIEW, Volume 3 / Winter 2001:2002, 27.

* Revision history:

   v1.0.0 / 01 mar 02 / gvg
   v1.0.1 / 01 may 02 / gvg / Minor update.
   v1.0.2 / 01 jun 02 / gvg / Added comments on the loss of PAK-FA.