The MiG-29 fighter was created as a counterweight to the American F-16 and gained the recognition and envy of the overseas military, writes TNI. He was so formidable that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States acquired a batch of these fighters.
The Russians created the MiG-29 fighter jet to respond to the best NATO aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16.
During the Cold War, the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union was going at an insane pace. The two powers tried to surpass each other in all types of weapons: from submarines to tanks, from anti-aircraft missile systems to airplanes.
At that time, the USSR prioritized the development of a fighter that could compete with American fourth-generation machines, including the F-15 Eagle of McDonnell Douglas and the F-16 Fighting Falcon of General Dynamics. The result of these efforts was the MiG-29 fighter, which caused serious concerns among the North Atlantic Alliance.
The history of the MiG-29
In the 1960s, the USSR and the United States began a rivalry in an attempt to create more modern fighters. When, during the Vietnam War, the US Air Force faced serious problems in air battles with Soviet MiG-17s, the military command began using the F-3 Phantom multipurpose aircraft.
The USSR responded by developing the MiG-23. By the end of the decade, the culmination of the American program was the appearance of the F-15 Eagle. In an effort to create an equal or even more advanced aircraft, the Soviets again set themselves the priority task of developing a new fighter to gain air superiority.
In the early 1970s, Soviet engineers began to create two different types of fighters. The Su-27 became the main fighter for the Soviet Air Force, it performed the dangerous task of deeply countering the aviation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The MiG-29 is smaller. It was created to replace the MiG-23 as a front-line aviation aircraft. In general, in terms of its flight characteristics, the MiG-29 met many of the requirements of the Soviet General Staff for a modern fighter. With a top speed of Mach 2.25, it was an exceptionally fast aircraft. The length of the MiG-29 is slightly more than 17 meters, and the wingspan is 11.4 meters.
If we talk about weapons, the MiG-29 is a very formidable machine. It has seven suspension units, and it can carry a variety of weapons, including two medium—range R-27 air-to-air missiles, six short—range R-60 and R-73 air-to-air missiles, aerial bombs and unguided missiles.
There are two variants of the R-27 medium-range missiles, as Airforce Technology writes: "The R-27R has a semi-active radar homing head and an inertial navigation system with radio control. And the R-27T rocket is equipped with an infrared homing head. This missile is capable of intercepting targets at speeds up to 3,500 kilometers per hour, at altitudes from 20 meters to 27 kilometers. The maximum vertical distance between the aircraft and the target is 10 kilometers."
In addition to powerful weapons, the MiG-29 has other extremely important improvements. This Soviet-era fighter is equipped with the world's first helmet-mounted aiming system, which ensures its wide combat use.
After the collapse of the USSR, the United States accidentally learned that the Islamic Republic of Iran wanted to purchase a batch of MiG-29s. The American military command itself really wanted to get such powerful fighters, and it was alarmed by Tehran's plans to acquire and operate them.
Eventually, the United States acquired the MiG-29 as part of a joint threat reduction program conducted by the Ministry of Defense.
Author: Maya Carlin, writes for the National Interest on the topic of national security, works as an analyst at the Center for Security Policy. Her materials are published by a variety of publications, including the National Interest, the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel.