Mikoyan MiG-29K fighter jets

Mikoyan MiG-29K fighter jets

Since its first sighting at the Ramenskoye test range in 1977, when it got unofficially dubbed with the rather tentative and anonymous RAM-L designation, the Fulcrum has been one of the key aircraft on the military aviation scene. The twin-finned air superiority fighter, now known as the MiG-29, first flew in 1977 and entered service with Soviet fighter regiments in 1983.

In 1969 the existence of the United States Air Force's  program, which would result in the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, became public knowledge. 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,

The decision was to have Advanced Frontline Fighter, PFI program. 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 PFI program was supplemented with the Advanced Lightweight Tactical Fighter, LPFI  program. The Soviet fighter force was planned to be approximately 33% PFI and 67% LPFI.

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. 

The MiG-29B was widely exported in downgraded versions, known as MiG-29B 9-12A and MiG-29B 9-12Bfor 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.

The MiG-29 was marketed worldwide and equaled or surpassed the F-15C in several areas. Consequently, the MiG-29 was initially a useful export fot the new Russian Republic, though subsequently it was eclipsed by the larger Su-27.

The MiG-29 is a widely exported aircraft, flown by Iraq, Iran, North Korea, India, Syria, Cuba and Afghanistan, as well as Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Yugoslavia. Aside from MiG-29 basic version B, other modifications of the MiG-29 family, such as MiG-29SE, MiG-29SD, MiG-29SM and MiG-29SMT, can be offered to customers. Moreover, the MiG-29 fighters operated by customers can be upgraded to the level of the SE, SD, SM and SMT versions. 

Today, Russia maintains some 440 Mig-29S, India several dozens, North Korea operates at least 40 Fulcrums, even the United states purchased 21 Fulcrums from Moldova in an attempt to keep these Russian fighters from falling in rogue hands.

The MiG-29 is superficially similar in layout to the larger Su-27, and unlike counterpart American fighters which are easily distinguished, a close attention to design details is needed to distinguish the two Russian fighters:

The MiG-29 has a few advantages over its more electronically advanced American counterparts. At about 40 miles apart, the American planes have the advantage because of avionics. At 10 miles the advantage is turning to the MiG. At five miles out, because of the MiG weapons sight and better maneuverability, the advantage is to the MiG. The weapons sight is a helmet-mounted system that allows the missile to follow the line of sight of the pilot's helmet. Where the pilot looks is where it goes.

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.

Sources:
en.wikipedia
militaryfactor..
indianmilitary
globalsecurity