MiG-29

MiG-29 (Fulcrum) is a Soviet fourth-generation multirole fighter. It was the primary multirole fighter of the Warsaw Pact countries and the USSR in the 1980s.

In 1972-1973, Soviet research institutes justified the construction of two types of aircraft for the 1980s: heavy and light in a 1:3 ratio. The light fighter was to have superiority in air combat over American counterparts of a similar class (YF-16) and to fight on equal terms with heavier aircraft (F-15), provide interception of a wide range of targets, and also engage ground targets. The first flight of the prototype was made on October 6, 1977 (test pilot A.V. Fedotov), and serial production began in 1982 at Moscow Plant No. 30 (“Banner of Labor”).

In August 1983, the first production MiG-29s began arriving in the Soviet Air Force. By the beginning of 1985, the first two air regiments on the MiG-29 achieved operational readiness. The first foreign demonstration was carried out from June 30 to July 3, 1986, in Finland during a visit of six aircraft of the 234th regiment. Later, from September 2 to 8, 1988, the MiG-29 was presented at the Farnborough International Airshow.

This type of fighter was actively exported to numerous countries. A lot of different modifications were developed and released, including carrier-based ones.

On May 27, 2022, at around 2:00 pm, a MiG-29 fighter of the Ukrainian Air Force in the sky over Kherson Oblast shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter from the 23rd fighter aviation regiment of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation, which was hunting for Ukrainian attack aircraft.

The Ukrainian MiG-29 was covering a group of attack aircraft – Su-25s of the Ukrainian Air Force, which were striking enemy forces in Kherson Oblast. As a result of this air raid, a tactical group of the occupiers with equipment and personnel was destroyed.

A Russian Su-35 fighter took off from Belbek airfield to intercept Ukrainian attack aircraft. It was met by the Ukrainian MiG-29.

At least one Ukrainian combat MiG-29 has been repaired and given a livery in the style of the Ukrainian Falcons flying group.

In August 2022, it became known that Ukrainian military engineers, with the help of American specialists, were able to integrate AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles into the aircraft's arsenal. As a result, Ukrainian pilots have been successfully defeating Russian radars. At the end of August 2022, the Ukrainian Air Force Command released a video of the combat launches of these missiles.