MiG-29

Mikoyan MiG-29

FULCRUM

MiG-29

MiG-29

Jane'sHOW TO FLY AND FIGHT IN THE

Mikoyan MiG-29

FULCRUJON LAKE

MiG-29

In the USA for information address:HarperCollinsPublishers Inc.10 East 53rd StreetNew YorkNY 10022

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First Published in Great Britain byHarperCollinsPublishers 1997

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Copyright Jon Lake

ISBN 0 00472144 6

Cover photograph: Artur Sarkisyan (MiG-MAPO)Colour illustrations: John Ridyard and Chris Davey (3-view)Editor: Ian DruryDesign: Rod TeasdaleProduction Manager: David Lennox

Colour reproduction byColourscanPrinted in Italy by Rotolito

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MiG-29

CONTENTS6

INTRODUCTION

16THE MISSION

44MiG-29 IN FOCUS

54US FIGHTER PILOT'S PERSPECTIVE

8OTHE USER'S VIEWPOINT

84FUTURE 'FULCRUM'

MftG-29

INTRODUCTION:FIRST APPEARANCESRussia's aviation industry was in anenviable position after World War II. Itenjoyed a huge captive market for itsproducts, since the climate and topographyof the USSR made reliance on aircraft fordefence almost inevitable. With the ColdWar raging, the Russian armed forces had amassive requirement for indigenous aircrafttypes. Furthermore, under a Stalinistcommand economy, the aviation industrywas completely isolated from the disciplinesand demands of the free market. When theRussian air forces wanted a new fightermoney was no object, and narrow economiccompetitiveness was an alien concept.Above right: This flyingsuit patch was issued toOKB personnelparticipating in overseasairshows likeFarnborough. The MiGwinged badge logo isprominent.

Below: The MiG-29prototype afterretirement to the AirForces' museum atMonino, near Moscow.

The aviation industry was, as a result,massively inefficient, overmanned,bureaucratically bloated and with atremendous duplication of resources.Furthermore, it was subject to a great deal ofpolitical interference. The aims of a particularFive Year Plan were often accorded a higherpriority than meeting the requirements of thearmed forces, which could hardly turnelsewhere. Initiative was suppressed. Therewas little scope for aircraft designers to pressahead with their own visions, except wherethese coincided with an officially stated

requirement, or where success might bring apropaganda coup.

Despite this stagnant background, theindustry managed to produce some truly greatcombat aircraft. None were more impressivethan the succession of jet fighters producedby the Experimental Design Bureau (OKB)named after Artom Mikoyan, and whoseaircraft proudly bore a suffix formed from theinitial letters of the founders' names, Mikoyanand Gurevich - MiG.

The MiG-15 was in many ways superior tothe F-86 Sabre, particularly in its armament,

INTRODUCTION

Left: This aircraft (the 9-10 prototype) typifiesproduction MiG-29safter installation of theoverwing chaff/flaredispensers.

and this allowed the Russians to produce thetop-scoring aces of the Korean War. The MiG-19 was years ahead of its time, as was theMiG-21, whose basic design was so right thatlarge numbers remain in service to this day,and when modernized with contemporaryavionics the aircraft still represents a potentthreat. The MiG-25 was a superb high speed,high altitude reconnaissance platform, andwas the only interceptor capable ofcountering the mighty SR-71 Blackbird. TheMiG-29 has proved to be probably the OKB'smost impressive product.

When the MiG-29 made its firstappearance, intercepted by Swedish fightersover the Baltic, there was a great deal ofexcitement. It was clearly meant to be amodern agile fighter, in much the same classas the F/A-18 Hornet. But in truth, not muchcan be gleaned from still photographs or by

simply flying alongside a co-operating target,and experts bickered as to whether or not theMiG-29 was simply an inferior Soviet copy ofthis or that Western fighter - whether what itwas supposed to have copied was the F-14,the F-15, the F/A-1 8 or even the YF-1 7.

Intelligence sources suggested that theaircraft had been seen performingmanoeuvres which 'no Western fighter couldemulate', but this claim was treated withsome scepticism. Many suspected that it wasan exaggeration (or an outright fiction)intended as a justification for theprocurement of more advanced fightersand/or weapons by the US forces.

In fact, the MiG-29 was an entirely originaldesign, incorporating many advanced featuresnot seen in its Western counterparts, andactually more aerodynamically advanced thanany Western type. There were some broad

Above: RostislavBelyakov remains at thehelm of the MikoyanDesign Bureau despiteadvancing age and illhealth. Greatly admiredand respected by thosewho meet him, Belyakovis a legend in his ownlifetime, and was the'father' of the MiG-29.

Below: The old and thenew. A Czech air forceMiG-29 formates with anexample of Mikoyan'sprevious best-seller, theMiG-21. The CzechRepublic no longeroperates the MiG-29,having passed its aircraftto Slovakia.

INTRODUCTION

Above: Carryingunderwing fuel tanks,one of the MikoyanOKB's own MiG-29s isseen under escort byElmendorf-based F-15sduring the type's firstvisit to North America,in 1989. The similar size,wing-sweep and broadconfiguration of the twoaircraft types is apparent.

similarities with each of the latest Westernfighters, with LERXes like those on the F/A-18,widely spaced underslung engines and a'lifting body' fuselage like the F-14, and awing planform reminiscent of that of the F-15.Twin tailfins were a common feature to the F-14, F-1 5, F/A-18 and theYF-17. But in truth,the MiG-29 was no more a copy of the F/A-18 (say) than the Hornet was a copy of the F-14 or F-15. Common requirements often leadto common solutions, and in designing ahighly agile fighter, it would have been moresurprising had Mikoyan not produced adesign with some features which resembledthose on the Western aircraft.

Today, a generation of future combataircraft share a single-finned, canard Deltaconfiguration, yet no-one is seriouslysuggesting that the Gripen (for instance) is acopy of Rafale or Eurofighter. As the Westlearned more of the new Soviet superfighter,the truth became clearer, that the MiG-29 wasa highly advanced and unique product of adesign team who had done their ownhomework, and who, in some respects, haddone it better than had their Westerncounterparts.

Certainly the Russians had created anaircraft which was capable of flight at farhigher angles of attack than any Western type,and which could be flown with confidenceinto areas of the envelope which werenormally strictly 'out-of-bounds'. It latertranspired that the aircraft's weapons systemincorporated some features which were far in

advance of anything fielded by the aircraft'sWestern contemporaries.

But the accusation that Mikoyan hadsomehow 'cheated' and had simply copied anAmerican fighter proved hard to bury, andeven today, there are those who believe thatMikoyan (Russia's foremost fighter designbureau) simply refined a configuration whichAmerican know-how had created.

Six MiG-29s made a goodwill visit toFinland during 1986, where the type'saerobatic display routine was watched withgreat interest, and just over two years later, inSeptember 1988, a pair of MiG-29s becamethe first Soviet fighters to be exhibited at aWestern trade show, when they appeared atthe SBAC Farnborough show. At Farnborough,the Mikoyan OKB's test pilots put on an evenmore spectacular show routine, while on theground, the type's designers provedsurprisingly willing to talk openly about theaircraft's characteristics and capabilities.

But the controversy continued. Somemaintained that the MiG-29's airshow routine,performed by a lightly loaded machineowned by the Bureau, was a 'flashy'irrelevance, which-in contradiction of theevidence offered to the eyes of anyone whosaw the display-demonstrated no superiorityover the agile F-1 6. Other detractors pointedto the MiG-29's crude finish in certain areas,and airily claimed-with not a scrap ofevidence-that the aircraft's radar was a crudecopy of the Hornet's AN/APG-65 or theEagle's AN/APG-63. Other onlookers went the

INTRODUCTION

other way, and seemed to be blinded by theaircraft's undoubted acrobatic prowess. Theysaw the incredible turn performance, highAlpha and post-stall capabilities of theaircraft, and immediately assumed that itwould be unbeatable in air-to-air combat, andbelieved every word that its designers utteredabout the capabilities of the aircraft'savionics.

It has taken many years for a morebalanced and accurate impression of theaircraft to become accepted. There is nowlittle argument with the fact that the MiG-29is the most aerodynamically advanced aircraftof its generation, nor with the fact that it isprobably the world's best close-in dogfighter.Equally, it is widely recognised that theaircraft's avionics system severely limits itseffectiveness in any BVR engagement, andimposes an unhelpful degree of reliance onground or AWACS control for target sorting,threat prioritization, and other tasks whichWestern fighter pilots take for granted asautomated, onboard functions. Finally, it isgenerally acknowledged that the aircraft'susefulness is severely constrained by its verylimited endurance and payload/rangecharacteristics, effectively limiting it to thepoint defence role.

But while the baseline MiG-29 has itslimitations, it is in service in huge numberswith a wide variety of operators, and isamong the most common potential threataircraft likely to be faced by Western fast jetpilots. The aircraft poses a significant threat inthe BVR environment (despite the limitationsalluded to above) and is a very dangerousthreat at WVR (Within Visual Range). WVRengagements may be dictated bycircumstance, or by ROE (Rules ofEngagement) which can sometimes

necessitate visual identification.Moreover, the MiG-29 has been subject to

a wide-ranging programme of upgrades andupdates, producing a plethora of advancedvariants, some of which are now enteringservice. Many of the MiG-29's traditionalweaknesses have now been addressed, andsome of the latest MiGs represent an evenmore dangerous and deadly threat than theirprecursors.

Above: After refuelling atElmendorf, the MikoyanOKB MiGs transited toAbbotsford, escorted byCanadian CF-188s. Oneof the Canadians, MajorBob WadeofNo.441Squadron, subsequentlybecame the first Westernpilot to fly the MiG-29

Left: F-16AADFsoftheMinnesota AN G escort apair of Mikoyan OKBMiG-29s during a tour ofNorth America. The MiG-29 and F-16 are oftencompared, though theyare very different. The F-16 is used mainly as atactical 'a\r-lo-mud'fighter bomber while theMiG-29 is pure fighter.In the air-to-air arena,the F-16 pilot enjoysbetter situationalawareness, while theMiG-driver has agilityand performance on hisside.

INTRODUCTION

THE REQUIREMENT -A NEW PHILOSOPHYFor many years Western fighter pilots felt comfortable in the'knowledge' that they flew better aircraft than did the opposition.Enemy pilots (especially Soviet fighter pilots, or Soviet-trained fighterpilots) were believed to be poorly trained, ill-practised and lacking ininitiative, while their aircraft were deficient in range, armament andonboard sensors, and were designed for use with a strict system ofGCI (Ground Controlled Intercept) control which limited tactical andoperational flexibility.

Far right: Mikoyan'soriginal demonstrator,'Blue W soon gained aParis air show number inlieu of its code. It wasalso one of the first MiG-29s to receive the MiG-29S modification ofunderwing fuel tankcompatability.

Below: A Royal Air ForceTornado F.Mk 3 escortsAnatoly Kvotchur in'Blue 10' as the MiG-29(using an Aeroflotcallsign) flew intoEngland to make itsWestern debut. In thebackground is an RAF VC10 tanker.

Operational experience seemed to confirmthe worst opinions of Soviet or Soviet-trainedpilots and their aircraft, though this wassometimes because good PR camouflaged akill-to-loss ratio which was seldom asdisproportionate as was suggested. In aclimate of opinion dismissive of Sovietaircraft, many observers failed to takeaccount of the self-evident strengths of someof the best Soviet fighters. The MiG-1 7proved a difficult opponent over Vietnam andin the Middle East, demonstrating superiorlow speed agility to the F-4 Phantom, andpacking a devastatingly powerful punch withits mix of 37- and 23-mm cannon. Theaircraft's relatively small size also made it adifficult opponent - making it hard to visuallyacquire and track. The MiG-21 enjoyedbreathtaking acceleration, rate of climb andoutright performance, and was equally

difficult to detect visually, especially fromhead-on. In the MiG-25, the USSR producedthe only fighter-interceptor capable of dealingwith the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spyplane.All of these aircraft had their weaknesses, ofcourse, and these often tended to camouflagetheir strengths.

But however much one acknowledges thesuperb performance characteristics orruggedness of particular Soviet combataircraft, and however much one nit-picksabout the exact ratio of F-4:MiG-21 lossesover Vietnam or of Israeli and Arab fighters,there can be no doubt that Western fightersand their pilots did enjoy a very significantedge.

Nowhere was this recognised more fullythan in the USSR itself. Development of theMiG-29 as we know it today began in theearly 1970s, to meet a requirement for a newLight Frontal Fighter (Logikii FrontovoiIstrebityel). This would be capable ofdestroying enemy fighters, attack aircraft,reconnaissance, AEW and ECM aircraft, andwould be able to protect friendly aircraft,while also being capable of attacking groundtargets close to the frontline. Stated so baldly,this was not very different to the requirementswhich had produced the MiG-21 or MiG-23.Yet because it implicitely required the newfighter to beat aircraft like the F-16 in aerialcombat, and be able to intercept low levelattack aircraft like the F-111 or Tornado, itwas actually very ambitious.

INTRODUCTION

It was always intended that the new fighterwould be able to sell on its own merits in theexport market, so it was vital that the MiG-29would be genuinely competitive with thelatest generation of US combat aircraft. Theaircraft's timescale was such that its designerswere quite heavily influenced by (and couldlearn valuable lessons from) aircraft like theYF-14, YF-15,YF-16 andYF-17.

Soviet tacticians and analysts were quiteaware of the need for the aircraft to be able tooperate autonomously, and of the need for'freelance operations' by fighter pilots. Theimportance of independence of outsidecontrol, flexibility and initiative began to bestressed in Soviet air forces training literature.This marked a dramatic shift in philosophy forthe Soviet air forces, and especially forFrontal Aviation, the tactical air arm. Thus, bySoviet standards at least, the MiG-29 pilotwas given an unparallelled ability to conducthis own mission, though shortcomings inavionics (and in particular a lack of sufficient

processing capability) did mean that hecontinued to rely on GCI or AWACS controlfor threat prioritisation and tactical, or risklosing situational awareness if he relied onlyon onboard sensors and displays.

Below: On overseas salestours, Mikoyan's single-seater 'Blue W wasaccompanied by MiG-29UB 'Blue 53', later'Blue 314'.

INTRODUCTION

MiG-29 BASIC DESIGNIn Vietnam, and other conflicts during the Cold War, the intelligentuse of hit-and-run tactics had sometimes allowed less capable Sovietfighters to shoot down more modern opponents. Ground Controllershad frequently played a critical role in getting fighters into positionto make a single deadly firing pass, using the advantages of altitude,speed and surprise to make a highly effective slashing attack. Theagility, and especially the turn performance, of the MiG-17 wasuseful, and frequently allowed the aircraft to better more modern USfighter types, although it was clear that without restrictive rules ofengagement, lumbering aircraft like the F-4 would not have allowedthemselves to be drawn into a within visual range fight.

The initial Soviet response to Vietnam was todesign aircraft like the MiG-23 - essentiallyBVR-capable, longer-range and modernisedequivalents to the MiG-21. With theemergence of the US 'Teen Series' fighterprototypes (YF-14 Tomcat, YF-15 Eagle, YF-1 6Fighting Falcon and YF-1 7 Cobra) it becameclear that the US were emphasising close-in'dogfight' manoeuvring capabilities, as wellas BVR (Beyond Visual Range) targetdetection and engagement. Detailed designwork began in 1974, the year that the F-1 5entered service, and the year that the YF-1 6and YF-1 7 prototypes first flew.

Thus it soon became clear that the MiG-29would have to carry a long range pulseDoppler fire control radar and BVR missiles,yet would also have to be capable of anextraordinary degree of manoeuvrability.

Design of a new Frontal Aviation fighterbegan in 1 969, as a direct counter to theUSAF's F-1 5, which had been launched in1965. To meet what was initially known asthe PFI (Perspektivnii Frontovoi Istrebityel, orprospective frontal fighter) three design

FIRST GENERATION 'FUUCRUMS'These MiG-29 variants share the same basic airframe andthe same basic 'Slot Back* radar, and can be regarded as thebaseline variants, though the MiG-29S is much improved.

bureaus submitted competing designs.Yakovlev dropped out at an early stage,leaving Sukhoi with theT-10 and Mikoyanwith the MiG-29. Unusually, Mikoyan used aservice-type designation from the start, ratherthan the more usual E- (Ye-) number. Both theSukhoi and the Mikoyan aircraft designs wereoriginally quite similar, loosely based on acommon configuration with twin fins, widelyspaced raked intakes and prominentextensions to the leading edges of the wingroots (LERXes - leading edge root extensions).Both were also relative heavyweights, similarin size to, or larger than, the F-1 5.

But just as the USAF's fighter competition

spawned a cheaper, lightweight complementto the F-15 in the shape of the F-16, GlebLozino-Lozinsky submitted a proposal that asmaller version of the MiG-29 should also beprocured, as a lower-cost, lighter-weight,force multiplier. This led to the PFIprogramme being split into two. The SukhoiOKB were commissioned to produce a heavyfighter, the TPFI (T for Tyazholyi, or heavy)which eventually became the T-10 and thenthe Su-27. Mikoyan were instructed toproceed with development of their lighterMiG-29 (originally known as the MSG-29D,or Dubler - Double) under the LPFIprogramme (L for Logikii, or lightweight). The

P was soon dropped from both programmedesignations.

The MiG-29 represented an extremely high-risk project, since it broke new ground inevery respect. A radically new aerodynamicconfiguration was coupled with a newengine, new avionics, new radar, and a newmissile armament. Sukhoi did exactly thesame with the Su-27, and paid the price,having to revise their aircraft's aerodynamicand structural design and suffering delays tothe radar, and to the engines. Mikoyan wereluckier; development of the aircraft's disparateelements, and their integration, were toproceed remarkably smoothly.

Above: The MIG-29UBlacks radar, and so is acontinuation andconversion trainer only,without full combatcapability. The tandemcockpits of the MiG-29UB are not as steppedas on many two-seatfighter trainers, and theback-seater is thereforeprovided with aretractable periscope.The aircraft is seen heretaxying at Farnboroughduring the 1988 SBACshow.

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

CONFIGURATION ANDCHARACTERISTICSThe MiG-29 was designed to combine high performance withoutstanding manoeuvrability. In order to achieve this, the firstpriority of the aircraft's designers was to provide high installed thrustin a lightweight airframe. From the beginning, and in spite of theirlong experience with single-engined fighters, Mikoyan determinedthat the MiG-29 would have two engines for the best possiblesurvivability characteristics.

Aerodynamic design began with the forebody,lifting fuselage and wing, which wereoptimised to maximise the lift/drag ratio, andto be capable of sustaining flight at extremelyhigh angles of attack. The wing blended intothe fuselage via long, curving extensions tothe wingroots, known as LERXes (LeadingEdge Root extensions). These generatedpowerful vortices across the top of the wingand fuselage, helping to keep flow attached athigh angles of attack. This 'perfect'wing/centrebody was then 'compromised' bythe addition of the cockpit, twin tailfins(spaced wide apart for effectiveness at highangles of attack), slab tailplanes and widelyspaced engines and intake ducts. The widespacing gave room between the engines forthe carriage of external stores, and alsoallowed the intakes to flow straight back tothe compressor face - probably oneexplanation for the aircraft's superb enginehandling at high angles of attack - while theLERXes also tended to channel air back intothe intakes.

The MiG-29's aerodynamic characteristicsare unmatched. With no fly-by-wire controlsystem to prevent departure from controlledflight, the aircraft's design has been carefully

Above: 'Fulcrum-C'slined up at Sarmellek inHungary prior to theirdeparture (to Minsk) on4 October 1990. Sovietforces in Hungaryincluded three MiG-29Regiments atKiskunlachaza, Sarmellekand Tokol, together withone MiG-23 fighterregiment and MiG-27,Su-17 and Su-24 units.

tailored to 'square the circle' betweenunparallelled agility and benign departurecharacteristics. The MiG-29 will stall, ofcourse, and can depart from controlled flightin an energetic manner, but is claimed to beeffectively unspinnable, recovering from anincipient or fully developed spin (erect orinverted) as soon as full pro-spin controls arerelaxed.

The aircraft is designed to operate fromrough, semi-prepared runways, and in orderto prevent foreign object ingestion by thelow-slung intakes, they are fitted with asystem which actually closes them duringtake off and landing when the nosewheel is

Above: This 'fulcrum-C'is seen during the Sovietwithdrawal fromHungary, and carries thefull three-tank ferry fit.Underwing tanks wereoriginally part of theMIG-29S upgrade.

Far right: This colourful'Fulcrum-C' was used bythe Ukrainian air forcefor an aerobaticdemonstration tour ofCanada and NorthAmerica.

INTRODUCTION

on the ground (but based on airspeeds).During start-up, massive solid doors swingdown from the intake roof and close off theintake, and the engine then draws air throughspring-loaded louvres on the tops of theLERXes. This airflow is sufficient to allow theengines to be run at full afterburning thrust.

The first of eleven prototypes made itsmaiden flight on 6 October 1977. Theprototypes were followed by eight pre-production aircraft. The aircraft enteredservice during 1983, initially with the 234thGuards IAP at Kubinka, then with Regimentsat Ros in the Ukraine and Mikha Tskhakayain Georgia.

MiG-29

THE MISSION:THE MiG-29 IN EAST GERMANYDuring the Cold War Germany was thefrontline, where Superpower confrontedSuperpower. And because Germany wouldhave been the most likely battlefield hadthe Cold War ever turned hot, NATOconcentrated the best of its military forcesthere, ready to resist the anticipatedarmoured thrust by up to five Soviet tankarmies. On the other side of the IronCurtain* the USSR concentrated its best-equipped, best-led and most effective unitsin East Germany. Had there ever been awar, the elite troops driving westwardswould have been supported by the bestthat the Soviet air forces could provide.Specialised defence suppression aircraftwould have punched holes through whichmassed formations of fighters and bomberswould have poured. At the heart of the airforces' involvement was the 16th Air Army,based in Germany and headquartered atZossen, near Berlin. This provided theGroup of Soviet Forces in Germany with itsown organic tactical air force.

I have been criticised in the past for daringto suggest that the primary role of the 16thAir Army was one of deterrence (at least inlater years) and for suggesting that Sovietpolicy was dictated by an unreasonable, butgenuine, paranoia, a fear of attack and/oreconomic subjugation by the west. FromStalin's point of view, his regime had beenreviled in the Western press right up until theGerman invasion in 1941, and the alliancebetween the USSR and the Western allieshad been a matter of convenience, a pieceof necessary cynicism aimed at defeating thecommon enemy. After 1945 Stalin watchedas the Western allies combined and rebuilttheir zones of Germany, in what he saw as adirect and provocative contravention ofwartime agreements.

There may have been Russian politicianswho saw the spread of communism as theirsacred duty, and who would have pushed formilitary action against the West had NATOever let its guard drop. But it is by no meanscertain that such attitudes ever dominatedand by the 1980s, most Russians sawthemselves as the victims of WesternImperialism, hostility and economic warfare.But there are still those in the West who seeany attempt to explain the complex attitudesof the USSR as simple apologism, and whoprefer to regard the USSR as a genuinely 'Evil

Right: This MiG-29 wearsthe distinctive 'wingedstar' markings applied toabout half of the aircraft(the older 'Fulcrum-A's,with ventral fins)assigned to the 968thIAP at Nbitz. Thesewere almost certainlythe aircraft used by theRegiment's secondsquadron. A typicaltraining mission flown byone of this unit's pilots isdescribed in this book.

THE MISSION

Empire' hell-bent on world domination andthe military subjugation of the Free World.

Certainly, Warsaw Pact planning in Europewas based on a massive attack against NATO- albeit one which was justified as being aresponse to the NATO attack which it wasexpected would accompany Capitalism'sdying gasps. Documents which came to lightfollowing German reunification have revealedhow a war might have been conducted in the1970s. The conflict would have opened withmassive nuclear strikes against NATOinstallations in Germany.The Dutch borderwas marked as the limit of strategic andoperational nuclear strikes' using some 320warheads. The USSR presumably hoped thatthis would keep NATO's nuclear response

similarly geographically limited. Warsaw Pactarmies would then have fought throughGermany in their NBC protective gear,occupying the whole of Germany in threedays, before rolling on to the Channel and thePyrenees. The Warsaw Pact printed and storeda new occupation currency to replace theDeutschmark, together with ID papers for300,000 East German administartors whowould take over the running of the old WestGermany. They even minted thousands ofinvasion medals!

In the 1980s, defensive tactics andconventional weapons were increasinglyemphasised, but when an East Germanofficer was questioned by his Bundeswehropposite number about his defensive plans,

Left: This view of a 968thIAP MiC-29 was taken asthe aircraft approachedAlt Lnnewitz(Falkenberg) as the unittransited back to Russia.It seems likely that someof the earliest productionMiC-29s were notplumbed for the carriageof external fuel tanks atall. Before the system fellinto disuse, the coloursof regimental codes andtheir thin outlinesindicated regimental anddivisional assignment.

Below: The 33rd IAP atWittstock applied abadge to some of itsaircraft, consisting of anImperial Russian typeroundel, on which weresuperimposed a redByelorussian bison, astylised red shark (ordolphin) and a blueMiG-29. Codes werewhite, usually with blueoutlines.

HAbove: One of the 787thlAP's 'Fulcrum-C's atEberswalde. Airfieldarchitecture on the 16thAir Army's bases was amix of Soviet andwartime Nazi!

Right: A group of MiG-29 pilots in the nowrarely-worn high altitudefull pressure suits,carrying pressurehelmets.

Below: A fully-armedQRA aircraft standingalert at Eberswalde.

the East German succinctly replied"Antwerp!" But the first use of nuclearweapons was effectively abandoned at anearly stage, placing more importance on theneutralisation of NATO air power. In 1987Gorbachev explicitely declared that theWarsaw Pact would never conduct offensiveoperations unless under armed attack,guaranteed no first use of nuclear weaponsand denied or renounced any territorialclaims in Europe and elsewhere. Russianforces in East Germany continued to occupy1,000 barracks, airfields and other facilities,which covered 10% of the area of theGerman Democratic Republic, and byOctober 1990 included 363,690 militarypersonnel, 5,880 main battle tanks, 698combat helicopters and 625 combat aircraft.

Fighters always enjoyed a disproportionateimportance in the 16th Air Army, since theyhad the vital peacetime role of preventingoverflights or incursions by Westernreconnaissance aircraft, and could undertakeoffensive or defensive operations in wartime.MiG-29s began to replace MiG-23s (and ahandful of MiG-25s) from January 1986, re-equipping fighter regiments at Wittstock,Ptnitz (Damgarten), Zerbst, Kthen,Merseburg, Nbitz (Altenburg), AltLonnewitz, and Eberswalde (Finow) by 1989.One more fighter regiment still retainedMiG-23s by the time the Soviets began towithdraw from East Germany. This may havebeen scheduled to convert to the MiG-29, or

THE MISSION

may have been retained for longer-rangefighter duties.

The multi-role MiG-29M was developedspecifically to meet the requirements of the16th Air Army, and could have replaced Su-17s and MiG-27s (overtly hostile fighterbombers), as well as first-generation MiG-29s. While nominally appearing to re-equipall fast jet units with a defensive fighter, the16th Air Army would have dramaticallyincreased its offensive strike, SEAD and closeair support capabilities. But plans werethrown into disarray on 7 November 1989,when the Berlin Wall came down. While aSoviet withdrawal was planned and then putinto operation, MiG-29 units continued to flytheir normal training missions, but the ColdWar was effectively over.

When the two Germanies re-united on 3October 1990, the 16th Air Army comprisedNorthern and Southern Tactical Air Corps.The Northern corps controlled the 16thGuards Fighter Division, headquartered atPtnitz, and the 125th Fighter BomberDivision headquartered at Rechlin. In turn,these controlled three MiG-29 Regiments atWittstock, Ptnitz and Eberswalde, and twoSu-17 and one MiG-27 fighter-bomberregiment. The Southern corps controlledanother fighter bomber division (105th IAD)with three MiG-27 regiments, and two fighterdivisions. The 6th Guards Fighter Division atMerseburg controlled MiG-29 regiments atAlt Lonnewitz, Merseburg and Nbitz, whilethe 126th Guards Fighter Division at Zerbstcontrolled MiG-29 regiments at Zerbst andKthen, and a MiG-23 unit at Altes Lager.Direct reporting units includedreconnaissance and transport divisions andtwo Shturmovik regiments. All combathelicopters were army aviation assets.

MiG-29 RADII OF ACTIONThis map shows the Mig-29's radii ofaction from bases in East Germanyat different altitudes and speeds, andwith varying loiter times. (The rangefigures relate to the diagram onpage 38).

Left: The 'Fulcrum-C'differed from thebaseline MiG-29 inhaving a distinctivelyhump-backed spine. Thiscontains a new activejammer and some extrafuel. The aircraft wasoften known by thenickname Gorbatov(Hunchback). Thisaircraft is seen taxying atEberswalde, close toBerlin.

THE MISSION

WITH THE 968THISTREBEITELNYIAVIATSIONNAYA POLKOne of the 16th Air Army's MiG-29 units was the 968th IAP(Istrebeitelnyi Aviatsionnaya Polk, Fighter Aviation Regiment). Thiswas based at the airfield known to NATO as Altenburg (known tothe VVS as Nbitz) in the southern part of East Germany from1989 until its withdrawal on 8 April 1992. Concealed in the edgeof thick woodland, Altenburg-Nbitz was located in theeasternmost part of Thuringia, only 40 miles north of the Czechborder and about 15 miles north-west of Karl-Marx-Stadt. Firstused as an airfield during the First World War, (as Altenburg) theairfield was extensively rebuilt and modernised before beingrecommissioned in 1936.

Right: A MiG-29 roarsinto the air after a shorttake off. Lightly loaded,the MiG-29 actuallyqualifies as a STOLaircraft, and even withoperational equipmentneeds remarkably littlerunway. On Wednesday26 April 1995, a MiG-29flown by Roman Taskaevset an FAI-recognisedworld altitude record of27460 m (90,092 ft),shattering the recordpreviously set by an SR-71.

Under the Luftwaffe the airfield housed asuccession of bomber, training and night-fighter units until it fell into Soviet hands in1945. The Russians extensively rebuilt theairfield, extending the runway andimproving the facilities, though they retainedmany of the Nazi-era buildings for theirown use. Some hangars, for instance, stillbore safety and no smoking signs inGerman, and applied in the typicallyoverblown Teutonic script favoured byHitler's Luftwaffe. The airfield housed asuccession of fighter, reconnaissance andfighter-bomber types, though the based296th APIB's MiG-27s gave way to the MiG-29s of the 968th IAP in 1989. Like otherFrontal Aviation MiG-29 units the Regimentoriginally had three squadrons, the first withthe best-qualified and most experiencedpilots. This squadron was responsible for aircombat training of the whole regiment andalso had the responsibility for the nuclearstrike role.

The second squadron had a secondaryconventional ground attack capability whilethe third was the training squadron, with theunit's instructors and its less experiencedpilots. By 1990, some Soviet Regiments inEast Germany had been reduced to twosquadrons, with the training of a much-reduced number of first-tour pilots becominga secondary responsibility of the secondsquadron and of a third eskadrilya whichhad been reduced to flight strength,equipped with the regiment's two-seaters.

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MlG-29 NUCLEAR STRIKEDuring the Cold War, as far as can be ascertained, all Soviet MiG-29regiments had a secondary nuclear strike role. Pilots from the first ofthe Regiment's three squadrons were specially trained in nuclearweapons delivery techniques, and in how to perform the complexseries of decoding and verification procedures without which thebombs could not be armed. These pilots received separate malchi-malchi (hush hush) combat proficiency evaluations to theircolleagues for the strike role, but also had to be fully proficient in allnormal aspects of the regiment's other roles. MiG-29 bases had adiscrete RTB nuclear weapons storage facility, guarded by adedicated force of soldiers who reported not to their local FrontalAviation air force headquarters, but to the Strategic ForcesCommand in Moscow.

Above: Seen at theAkhtubinsk test centre,this MiG-29 carries therarely seen underwingbomb racks. The basicMiG-29 can carry four500-kg bombs, while theupgraded MiG-295 cancarry as many as eight.

This nuclear capability was exercised fairlyfrequently, with a nuclear-capable regiment'saircraft being loaded and unloaded at leasttwice per month. This was always practisedunder cover, at night, in order to avoid theattention of US satellites. Slightly lessfrequently, full scale nuclear missions would

be simulated, with every stage being carefullyassessed and timed.

The nuclear alarm, triggered directly fromMoscow was a surprisingly innocuous sound,a relatively quiet chirruping warble, but itgenerated immediate action. Under normalreadiness conditions a regiment had 130minutes to launch its strike force - aseemingly long delay, but one barelysufficient for all the procedures to be carriedout, checked and double-checked. Such amission required the participation of virtuallythe entire regiment. While the pilots of thestrike aircraft and their escort briefed, andwhile their aircraft were armed and refuelled,the third squadron got airborne to mountdefensive patrols over the airfield. Theirinexperienced pilots' task would be completeonce the strike aircraft had left the vicinity ofthe airfield.

In the strike role a single regiment wouldtypically be assigned to attack four relativelyclosely spaced targets (perhaps enemyairfields), assigning two aircraft (and twonuclear weapons) to each target. In thenuclear role, each strike MiG-29 would carrya single 30 kT RN-40 nuclear weapon on aspecially strengthened and wired port inboardpylon. The eight strike aircraft would bedrawn from the first squadron, with the rest ofthe squadron, and the second squadron,flying as escorts and providing a fightersweep ahead of the strike aeroplanes. One ofthe primary roles of the sweep would be todestroy enemy AWACS platforms.

While the pilots were briefed, thegroundcrews loaded the MiG-29s with

Right: Conventional 250-kg high explosive bombsloaded onto a MiG-29.The inboard pylons cancarry two of theseweapons, with one moreunderwing and (ifnecesssary) two more onthe centreline.

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sinister grey and black, six-foot bombs;chocolate-coloured dielectric nose conescovered the radar- and barometric fuses. Onexercise, the clock would then be stoppedwhile the weapons were quickly but carefullyremoved, and replaced by ballasted sheetaluminium replicas. Meanwhile, theregiment's operations chief of staff wouldretrieve the coded orders and arming codesfrom their secure safes. The squadron deputychief of staff obtained the nuclear weaponsinstructions from a black fibreglass briefcase,and the necessary tools to complete thearming/authentication procedure.

When the strike pilots reached their aircraft,they found them accompanied by their crewchief and an officer from the RTBdetachment, with the arming/authenticationcode box already connected to the bomb.Once in the cockpit, with the radio turnedon, the pilot would open the arming-codeand and arming envelopes, extracting the twocards. He then waited to hear the secretmission code word as printed on the first cardrepeated over the radio. Without it, theprocess stopped there and then. Afterreceiving the right code word, though, thepilots would then check in, using specialcallsigns. Again, if the wrong callsign wasused, the tower would halt the procedure. Theregimental headquarters would then transmita sequence of nine numbers, which the pilothad to copy into boxes on the second card.The pilot then had to subtract the newly-written lower digits from the upper row ofprinted digits. If any 9s or Os appeared, theprocedure would be invalid, and would behalted. The numbers reaching the pilot camedirectly from Moscow.

Meanwhile, the RTB officer went through asimilar procedure over a separate landline tothe political leadership. The pilot and RTBofficer would then compare their calculateddigits. With any disparity, the procedureended. But if they tallied, the crew chiefentered the agreed nine digits into the ten-key keypad, and if correct, the bomb wouldbe armed. More than one mistake inentering the numbers, and the bomb wouldrefuse to arm.

The procedure ensured that a nuclearmission could only be launched with the fullapproval of both military and civilian chainsof command, preventing any kind ofDr.Strangelove scenario, whether triggered bya renegade general or by a politician. It hasbeen suggested that the Soviet specialweapons arming and verification system, usedsince the 1970s, was based loosely on that

used by the USAF. This may have beencompromised by nuclear-trained pilots takenprisoner in Vietnam, presumably tortured thenshot, and still posted MIA to this day.

Strike missions would have been flown atvery high speed and ultra low level, with acorrespondingly tiny radius of action.Retarded by parachute, the bomb itself wouldhave been delivered from a LABS-typeforward toss as the aircraft reached 120through the 'loop', having climbed from 600to 3,600 ft. With dark filters for his visor andthe HUD, the pilot was relatively wellprotected against NBC contamination andflash, but it was accepted that all computerson board would be wiped out by EMP. Thepilot would have to navigate home byanalogue instruments and magnetic compass.

Above: One of MAPO'scolourful MiG-295demonstrators with anarray of some of theweaponry offered withthe baseline MiG-29,and used by a number of'Fulcrum-A' exportcustomers. Nearest thecamera are four B8Mrocket pods, eachcontaining 20 80-mmrockets, with KMGUdispenser weapons (andfuel tanks) behind. Nextare 100-, 250- and 500-kg bombs, 30-mmammunition and air-to-air missiles. (ArturSarkisyan/MiG-MAPO)

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TODAY'S MISSION:ALTEN BURG-NBITZ,6 MAY 1991Today we will be flying a training sortie with a pair of the 968thFighter Aviation Regiment's MiG-29s. These aircraft are actually veryearly 'Fulcrum-A's that have been brought up to almost the lateststandards, and which equip the Regiment's second squadron. Theaircraft carry yellow code numbers, thinly outlined in blue, andunusually wear unit insignia consisting of a red swept Star' with atrailing blue wing. This is applied only to the port side of the nose,and is derived from the insignia of the 3rd Independent Air Corps,carried during the Great Patriotic War by Yak-1Ms, Yak-7s and Yak-9s.

Above: The insigniabelow the windscreen ofthis 'Fulcrum-C' is aGuards badge, adistinction awarded to asmall number of eliteSoviet fighter Regimentsduring the GreatPatriotic War.

Right: The bulged spineof the 'Fulcrum-C' isreadily apparent in thisview of a MiG-29 fromthe31stGvlAPatAltLonnewitz, south-west ofBerlin. Red-coded MiG-29s were also based atZerbst and Kthen, andwith part of the 968thIAP at Nbitz.

The lead aircraft is today being flown by oneof the unit's junior pilots, a real individualnow flying Su-27s at Lipetsk, who we shallrefer to by his nickname, 'Harry', (useduniversally) and not by his given name ofDmitri, since he has asked us not to reveal hissurname. 'Harry' is entirely representative ofthe MiG-29 pilots based in East Germany.'Harry' was then a Lieutenant, on only hissecond frontline tour, and while he wasoperational and fully competent on the MiG-29, he wore the wings of a Second ClassPilot, with two steps to complete before hegained the coveted wings of the 'Sniper Pilot',and which he now wears.

Russian pilots graduate from training withabout 230 flying hours and 550 sorties intheir log books, and wear wings with a plainblue shield as centrepiece. On a frontlineregiment, unrated pilots are of little real use,and are not really capable of flying asproductive members of the unit. To become a

Third Class pilot the young officer needs atotal of 350 flying hours and 600 sorties,usually achieving the rating within a year ofarriving at the frontline. Qualified to flycombat missions by day, in weatherconditions which include a 1.5-nm minimum

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visibility and a 750-ft minimum cloudbase,the Third Class pilot can fly in formations ofbetween four and sixteen aircraft (from azveno, or flight, to a full squadron).

Pilots gain the Second Class pilot ratingafter a further three years, with a minimum of450 hours and 770 sorties in their log books.Gaining the coveted wings with their red '2'is recognised as being a particularly difficultstep, involving written examinations andpractical testing of night- and instrument-flying abilities. A Second Class pilot is a fully-rated combat pilot, qualified to fly by day ornight, able to stand alert, qualified to flyground attack and 'manoeuvring combat'missions and fully instrument rated (with thesame day minima as a Third Class Pilot andwith night minima of 3-nm visibility and a1,500-ft cloudbase). Second Class pilotsreceived salary bonuses (effectively flyingpay) ranging from between 1 5% to 25% ofbasic pay, paid after one year's qualifiedservice. In days gone by, this was the stage atwhich Soviet pilots tended to becomeCommunist Party members. Soviet Regimentsin East Germany included a much greater

proportion of higher-graded pilots than otherFrontal Aviation units.

The First Class Pilot rating requires aminimum of 550 flying hours and 1,200sorties, and is usually achieved after some sixyears of frontline service. First Class Pilotshave weather minima (day and night) of lessthan a mile visibility and a cloudbase of 450-ft. Most frontline pilots can expect toeventually become First Class Pilots, but onlya handful get to the next step on the ladder,wearing the coveted wings of the Sniper Pilot.

Above: Although housedin hardened aircraftshelters Russian fightersin East Germany tendedto operate from aflightline. This aircraft,from the 787th IAP atEberswalde, wears an'Excellence' award on itsnose, applied torecognise the excellenttechnical condition ofthis particular aircraft.

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MOTIVATION AND MORALEYoung and highly motivated, 'Harry' enjoys his job and the access toconsumer goods that his posting in East Germany allows him. Withthe pulling down of the Berlin wall, he is no longer a relatively welloff member of a privileged elite as he was while the Group of SovietForces in Germany were still an army of occupation. As thewithdrawal of Soviet forces from the country gathers pace, thepurpose of the Russian presence is increasingly called into question.But 'Harry' does not see the withdrawal as evidence that his nationhas lost the Cold War. Rather he sees the long-term Soviet presenceas having provided a deterrent to NATO aggression, which has keptthe peace in Europe since the end of the Great Patriotic War. He ispleased that the Cold War is over, and would have much more incommon than his contemporaries flying F-16s at (say) Hahn orSpangdahlem than most people might think.

Top and Below: One ofthe squadrons of theKubinka-based 237thGvTsPAT forms the'Swifts' aerobatic displayteam. The Regiment hasa frontline role, but alsofunctions as a displayand demonstration unit.

Alexander Zuyev (the MiG-29 pilot whodefected to Turkey) admitted to hearingwestern rock music pounding in his headduring afterburner take offs - specifically the'Rolling Stones'. Soviet pilots were clearly asconservative in their musical tastes as manyof their western counterparts - no hip-hop orReggae here! At an air show at EberswaldeFinow, a Soviet pilot was heard teasing

American girls who wanted his friend to posewith them for a photo. "No! You don't wanthim. I am more like Tom Cruise, no?" inalmost flawless English.

Restrictions on low-flying, night-flying,carriage of live weapons and the use ofweapons ranges have been imposed since thecollapse of East Germany, and flights have tobe more closely co-ordinated by the HQ atZossen (which now has a Luftwaffe lodgerunit for airspace co-ordination). The amountof flying has also been cut back, and pilots donot always fly on both days of the week thattheir particular airfield still conducts flyingoperations. No-one knows what will happento the Regiment when it finally returns toRussia, whether they will return home toproper accomodation or to tents, but in themeantime, there are still training missions tobe flown, and morale remains high. Livingconditions are primitive, though and a pilotwith running water in his apartment (and thusable to shave in his own room) is likely to beteased as an 'effete English Gentleman'.

As the Cold War drew to a close, and asdefence cuts began to bite deeply, morale inthe Soviet armed forces generally didplummet. Pay, already eroded by gallopinginflation was delayed for months on end,while corruption, drugs, alcohol abuse, andavoidance of conscription became moreserious. Even in the Group of Soviet Forces itbecame clear that there were problems, asnon-commissioned personnel began to sellequipment from pistols to lorries (and even,in one case, a 'Scud' missile launcher!) on theblack market. But while many believed thepropaganda image of Soviet pilots as beingill-trained drunkards whose morale was atrock bottom, the truth was rather different.

In Frontal Aviation, (as in almost any otherair arm) pilots are an elite, and as such aresomething of a law unto themselves. In Sovietsociety, military pilots enjoyed huge respectand many privileges - including better foodand better medical care than the KGB or Partysupremos. They were carefully selected andhad to achieve and maintain a considerablyhigher standard of physical fitness than pilotsin western air forces. No Soviet airman couldcontinue flying fourth-generation fast jets if herequired glasses, or indeed if his eyesightslipped below the prescribed level ofperfection. No nationality on earth enjoysgetting drunk, maudlin and singing patrioticsongs more than does the average Russian,

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but Soviet pilots tend to keep their drinkingfor stand-downs, with the harshest possiblepenalties imposed on anyone who breachesthe strict '36 hours between bottle andthrottle' rule. This is a considerably longerperiod of abstinence than is required inNATO air forces. Drinking one beer within aday of flying would lead to a prolongedgrounding and harsh disciplinary action. In

some Regiments drinking was banned duringwhole periods of flight training, which couldlast up to a month, even on the Friday nightsof weekend stand-downs. Air Force doctorsdid their best to enforce recommended bed-times and a minimum period of 45 daysmandatory leave was strictly enforced. Pilotswere even encouraged to abstain from sexduring flight training cycles!

Above: Initiallyoperating with sixaircraft, the Swifts teamnow operates as a fiveship, with a four aircraftcore and a single soloaircraft. This ensures thatat least one aircraft is infront of the crowd at alltimes. The Kubinka-baseddemonstration unit wasoriginally designated asthe 234th GVIAP, re-designating as the 237thSAP (SmeshaninyiAviatsionnaya Polk, orMixed AviationRegiment) in 1989. Theunit then became the237th TsPAT (TsentrPozaka, Aviatsionnoi,Techniki - or Centre ofDemonstration ofAviation Techniques.

Above left: One of theSwifts MiG-29s taxiespast a row of Su-24s atKubinka. The latteraircraft wear the samecolour scheme as hasbeen applied to theexport aircraft suppliedto nations like Iran andIraq.

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THE FLYING DAYOn a flying day like this, the pilots of the Regiment are woken at0530, in time to enjoy what was euphemistically termed a 'lightbreakfast' of sausage, eggs, cheese and rolls. After breakfast pilotsdraw their personal weapon - a Makarov 9 mm pistol in the 16th AirArmy. In wartime, even heavier armament might be carried, there isprovision for an AK-47 or AK-74 rifle to be fixed to the ejection seat.The next part of the pilots' daily routine is a check-up by theregiment's doctor. This examination includes temperature, pulse,respiration and blood pressure, and is in many respects as tough asthe annual aircrew medical given to many Western pilots. It can beimagined that a hangover would be difficult to conceal!

Below: This plan viewshows off several aspectsof the MiG-29'sconfiguration, notablythe widely spacedengines. This spacingallows very straightintake ducts, but imposesassymetric handlingproblems in the event ofan engine failure. Thewidely spaced andslightly canted fins arealso clearly visible.

The flying day proper begins with a massbriefing, with the regiment's meteorolgistgiving a thorough briefing on the actual andforecast weather conditions at the airfield andin the local area, at the nominated diversionairfields, and more generally over theoperational area. A second, updated met briefwas given before afternoon flying. The tacticaloperations officer would then outline theobjectives of the day's missions, talkingthrough these in some detail. Often pilotswould already have 'flown' the plannedmission several times in the simulator,

especially after flying time was cut back as aresult of economic constraints. In someregiments it was still customary to 'walkthrough' elements of a mission on the ramp.The morning briefing would also include abriefing from the regiment commander, and afull briefing by the GCI controllers on thevectors and altitudes they would be assigning.

Pilots then confirm their daily SRZO IFFcodes and their tactical callsign. Each pilotchanges his callsign every quarter, tomaintain an element of security. Callsigns arenumerical rather than alpha-numeric, andconsist of a two-digit prefix (used for initialcalls to a particular station) with a three digitsuffix usually serving as the entire callsign.The mass briefing would then conclude,leaving just enough time for the squadroncommander to talk to each of the pilots flyingin the first wave individually, addressing theirindividual training needs, shortcomings andother requirements.

On a flying day, activity will be frenetic,and the aim will be to launch three wavesbefore lunch - at about 1300 hrs - with asecond breakfast after the first wave have

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landed. Pilots will commonly fly on two oreven all three of the waves. A mass debriefand individual debriefs will follow afterlunch, with less intensive flying activity in theafternoon. The final flight of the day wouldusually land by 1600. This was alwaysreferred to as the Krainiye (ultimate), andnever as the posledniye (last) flight, since theRussians remain intensely superstitious. Forthe same reason the regimental code '13' wasusually not assigned. In days gone by pilotswould have spent at least two hours per weekwriting political essays and reading approvedMarxist-Leninist texts. By the late 1980s,especially in the 1 6th Air Army, this wasreplaced by study of flight and tacticalmanuals, flight safety publications, andintelligence reports. Although regiments stillhad Zampolits (political officers) their rolehad generally changed, placing an emphasison welfare, the teaching of enemy strategyand tactics, or acting as flight safety officers.(When I first met 'Harry' at Altenburg Ishowed him the latest copy of World AirPower Journal, which I then edited. Hisreaction left me speechless. "\ have seen. Ver'good!" he said, then pointed out that he'd likeme to give him an older issue, which hehadn't seen, in exchange for his pilot's wings.)

Above: Black-ringedwhite missiles areinevitably dummy oracquisition rounds. Thisaircraft (a MAPOdemonstrator wearing acolour schemedeliberately reminiscentof Indonesian andMalaysian camouflagepatterns) carries thestandard load of two R-27s and four R-73s.(Artur Sarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

Left: The MiG-29's highinstalled thrust and lowweight give it superbperformance in thevertical, and the aircraftis generally judged tohave delightful handlingcharacteristics. It makesits pilots look good. JohnFarley, BAe's HarrierChief Test Pilotcompared its ease ofhandling with that of thelet Provost trainer. (ArturSarkisyan/MiG-MAPO)

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PREPARING TO TAKE OFF

Above: Pilot andengineer confer duringthe pilot's preflight walk-around check. Thegroundcrew wear blackoveralls, leading to their'Black Men' nickname,which also reflects thefact that they supposedly'work like Ethiopians'.The pilot wears the lateststyle of helmet, withintegral visor. The lack ofoverwing chaff/flaredispensers identify thisaircraft as a very earlymodel 'Fulcrum-A'

We draw our helmets and g-suits and walkout to the flightline at 0845, taking a fewminutes to talk to our assigned aircraft'screw chief. Each aircraft was individuallylooked after by a small groundcrew led by ajunior officer. While a Western fightersquadron will have only two or threecommissioned engineer officers, with seniorNCOs fulfilling positions of greatresponsibility, a typical Russian fightersquadron might have as many as 20engineer lieutenants, with captains andmajors above them. This was necessarybecause the non-commissioned groundcrew(overwhelmingly conscripts) were often fromoutlying Soviet republics, ill-educated andbarely literate in Russian.

In wartime MiG-29s might have launcheddirectly from their earth-covered and heavilycamouflaged hardened aircraft shelters, buttoday, in peacetime, all the aircraft involvedin today's flying programme have been towedto a long flightline beside the runway, next tothe hangars, control tower and operationsbuildings. They will launch in waves,returning to the flightline after each flight. Atthe end of the day's flying, the aircraft willbe towed back to their shelters. Altenburg nolonger maintains aircraft on alert, but wouldonce have had two or four aircraft at fiveminutes readiness, round-the-clock, like allthe MiG-29 bases in Germany. These aircraftwere maintained in a cluster of HASs aroundan alert building, and could sometimes beseen outside their shelters, fully armed with'Archers' and 'Alamos'. In somecircumstances the aircraft were brought up toa higher state of readiness, with the pilotssometimes sitting at cockpit alert, ready tostart engines and taxy.

We complete a brief walk-aroundinspection of the aircraft - not lingering toolong, since that would imply a lack of trustin the 'black men' of the groundcrew, whohave been up half the night making sure thatwe will find nothing wrong with the aircraft!They are known as 'black men' for thecolour of their overalls, though also because,in the Russian vernacular, they 'work likeEthiopians'!

Although this is a training mission, theMiG-29s will carry a full load of 150 roundsof ammunition for the GSh-30-1 cannon.This is standard practice, even when acentreline tank is carried, though on all butthe latest sub-variants this also prevents useof the cannon. Checking the Master Armswitch is off will thus be a regular feature ofany training mission, since if it is not,depressing the trigger will fire the cannon,and not just activate the gun camera. Onone occasion a Zampolit new to the MiG-29thought that he had to arm the system toactivate the gun camera, and almost downedthe Tu-16 bomber acting as his target!Fortunately, he was a poor shot! If thetraining mission is to include simulatedmissile firings R-27 and R-73 acquisitionrounds (or smaller training pods) will becarried below the wing. These will allow thepilot to lock-up a target and do everythingshort of actually launching a weapon.

But our first action on entering the cockpit

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is to make the first of countless checks of theMaster Arm switch.

Once the canopy is closed, the pilotquickly completes his pre-start checks andthen starts the engines. In wartime, for anemergency scramble, the aircraft could taxyout and take off on one engine, shavingprecious seconds if the airfield was about tocome under attack. The second engine wouldthen be started after take off. Normallythough, the engines would be started insequence, and the pilot would scan therelevant instruments to check that oilpressure, RPM and jet pipe temperatureswere correct and stable before releasing thebrakes and easing forward the slide-mountedthrottles to taxy forward. To start, buttons onthe throttles are depressed to unlock themand move them from cut-off to idle, beforeselecting 'both' on the start panel on the righthand console. With the battery on, the startswitch is then pushed, with the right handengine starting first to the accompaniment ofa loud whoosh of compressed air. The lefthand engine starts automatically from airbled from the starboard engine, once thelatter had stabilised at 70% RPM. Leaving theflightline, the MiG-29s would usually taxy

faster than fighters in the West - which in anycase taxy rather quicker than the 'fastwalking pace' officially laid down. Theaircraft halts briefly at the maintenancecheckpoint, where a non-commissioned(usually enlisted) mechanic checks for leaks,checks the control surfaces, and checks thatarmament safety pins were removed. With hischeck complete, the airman salutes, and theMiG-29 may taxy forward.

Above and below: Finalpreparations are made to'Blue 42' before atraining mission. Theaircraft has been halfpulled out of itsrevetment, and will soonbe ready to taxy out tothe runway. Aircraft fromthe first productionbatches remain active.

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Today, as we pass the barriers swung back along the sides of thetaxyway (used to block the taxyway to prevent unauthorised takeoffs or defections) 'Harry' exchanges a cheery wave with the 'Blackman' assigned to fire flares for radio silent landing and take offclearances. No-one really thinks about the unusual precautionsdesigned to prevent defection, even though Alexander Zuyev diddefect to Turkey, in a MiG-29, as recently as 20 May 1989. Norwere the taxyway barriers the only obstacle to defectors or thieves.After flying, all the MiGs except those maintained on alert hadlocks fitted to their throttles.

Below: This fully-armedMiG-29 is seen mid-waythrough the start-upsequence, with the portengine intake still open,and with the canopy stillwide. The port intakedoor will swing down onstart-up of that engine,and the pilot will closeand lock the canopybefore he moves forward.The intake ducts aredirectly in line with thecompressor faces andjetpipes. This 'straight-through' design may helpaccount for the engines'remarkable ability tokeep running in the faceof severely disturbedairflow.

As the MiGs come to a halt the 'black man'steps out from under the makeshift umbrella-like structure which shelters him from theworst of the weather and stamps his feet tokeep warm. The two MiG-29s pull to a haltopposite him and their pilots run quicklythrough their take off checks. They confirmthat the annunciator panels were clear of redwarning lights, that canopies were closed andproperly locked, that their harnesses werelocked and that the ejection seats were armedand live. Finally the pilots check that the RPMguages are stable and showing 70% RPM atthe Gl (Ground Idle) setting.

'Harry' taxies forward onto the runway,taking the right hand side of the huge strip ofconcrete. In wartime, he could have taken offfrom the long, arrow-straight taxyway ifnecessary, or from the invisible auxiliaryrunway beside the concrete. With full runway

foundations and a turf-covering, this was farmore than a simple grass strip. Some Russianairfields in East Germany even had a shorttaxyway linking them to a nearby motorwayor road strip. Soviet airfields were built to stayoperational in the face of air attack, though intime of war, MiG-29s would inevitably havedispersed forward, perhaps to a motorwaystrip, or perhaps to a captured NATO airfield.This ability to desert an airfield was reflectedin the fact that radars tended to be truck-mounted, and even the consoles in thecontrol tower could quickly be dismantledand moved. Not for nothing was the MiG-29designed to be compatible with Westernground support equipment. But today wehave the luxury of a full-width runway and'Harry' watches in his mirrors as his wingmanswings out onto the runway behind him.'Harry' waggles his control column so thatthe flapping ailerons and tailerons attract hiswingman's attention. A standard trick in manySoviet regiments is to turn up the nav lightsand strobes to full power on the friendly .aircraft, especially useful when engagingsimilar aircraft types. 'Harry' and hiswingman do so now, though without havinghad a face-to-face brief with the Su-27 pilotswho will 'play' the opposition there can beno guarantee that they will not have decidedto use the same trick! Before take off, thepilots check that the nosewheel steering is inthe low-gain mode, with plus or minus 8 ofmovement, rather than the more sensitivehigh-gain option of plus/minus 30.

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Right (bottom to top):The MiG-29 enjoyssuperb take-offperformance, with athrust-to-weight ratiowell in excess of unity(1:1) when lightlyloaded. The aircraftaccelerates very rapidlyto its 200 km/h rotatespeed, and the large andpowerful tailerons rotatethe nose positively. Caremust be taken to avoid atailscrape. Once theaircraft is airborne, thepilot cleans up firstbefore pitching up into asteeper climb. Inaerobatic displayroutines, the aircraft canclimb straight into avertical climb andtailslide, or can make animpressive 'Bat turn'.

A deliberate, slow movement of the stickfully forward pitches the tailerons leading-edge down, the signal for the wingman toadvance his throttles to 100%, full militarypower. "Ten, nine, check the brakes, seven,six, brakes holding, four, three, two, one - themandatory ten seconds are up, the RPM hasstabilised", and 'Harry' releases the brakelever on the front of the stick. Sometimes hewould engage burner, but not today. We'relightly loaded, and we need the fuel. In aircombat training configuration, the MiG-29would often enjoy a thrust to weight ratiowell in excess of unity during an afterburnertake-off, which is an unnecessary luxury."Two, one!" counts the wingman after seeingthe lead aircraft start to move. Then hereleases his brakes, and the two aircraftthunder down the runway together.

"200 km/h, rotate". 'Harry' and hiswingman ease back their control columns toraise the nosewheels from the concrete and asthe aircraft reach 230 km/h (124 knots) (abouta second later) they are lifted off the runway.As the aircraft rotates, the danger of thenosewheel throwing up FOD into the intakesvanishes, and the doors in the intakes cycleopen. As the engines start to draw their airfrom the main intakes there is a slight nose-down pitching moment, but 'Harry' and hiswingman are used to this, and trim it outwithout a second thought. The MiC-29's takeoff performance is impressive, especially whenthe aircraft is lightly loaded, and the aircrafthas set world records in the STOL class!

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CLIMBOUT'Harry' retracts his undercarriage before he reaches the limitingspeed of 500 km/h (270 kts) and then pitches the aircraft into a50 climb. His wingman sticks close as they climb through the thinlayer of sulphurous yellow cloud which is so common on this sideof the Iron Curtain. But once we're through, the wingman easesout into a more tactical combat spread. Because many Sovietclient states are still using the tactics they were taught when theyequipped with MiG-21s, many western forces believe that theSoviet air forces still fly around in a tight, 'welded wing' tacticallyinflexible formation, in which the wingman has to spend all histime and energy keeping in position. Not so, especially in the 16thAir Army. Since the mid-1970s the Soviet air forces have beenaware of the limitations of old-style tactics, and have kept up todate with tactical thinking in the West.

Beiow: One of the lastMiG-29s delivered to theRussian air forces, brandnew and pristine.Production of the'Fulcrum-A' continuedalongside production ofthe 'Fulcrum-C'. Whenfunding dried up,production continued,building up a stockpileof unsold aircraft at theLukhovitsky factoryairfield. These aircrafthelped allow newcustomers to takedelivery of aircraft veryquickly, but preventeddevelopment ofadvanced versions.

The magazines and training pamphlets in thepilots' ready room all stress the vitalimportance of initiative, autonomous('freelance') operations, and of tactics whichallow the wingman to be fully exploited.Frontal Aviation MiG-29 pilots are openlydismissive of PVO interceptor pilots for theirslavish reliance on GCI control, often usingthe derisive 'robot' nickname. The Sovietpilot's reputation for dogged adherence toregulations and lack of imagination andinitiative was recognised sufficiently to be thesubject of jokes. In his book 'Fulcrum'(Warner Books), Alexander Zuyev (whodefected in his MiG-29 in 1989) recountedone such joke.

'An American pilot jumps into his cockpitand sits on a thumbtack. "Shit! What's this?"

then throws it out and gets on with hischecks. Same thing happens to an Israelifighter pilot. He puts it in his pocket thinking"This may be useful someday". Same thinghappens to a Russian pilot. "Blyat! What'sthis?" He pulls the pin out of his backside but

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then re-considers. "What if it's meant to bethere?" he thinks, so to be safe, he sticks itback in his ass/

As we climb to the pre-briefed exercisearea, 'Harry' makes the necessary switchselections to ready his aircraft for air combattraining. After checking the Master Arm is off,he selects the relevant missile (R-27 for a BVRengagement, R-73 for close-in) and thenmoves to the armament control panel,flipping the lock-on switch from 'Enemy' to'Friend'. Without making this selection, theIFF would not allow the radar to lock on to afriendly aircraft. Munitions fusing is thenselected to 'air'.

The next task is to set up the radar for theengagement. The Delta-H switch is turned toits second position, which will scan 6,000 ftabove our flight level, since it is our intentionto sneak up on the Su-27s from below, givingour radars the relatively easy task of lookingup, and complicating life for the enemy byforcing them to look down and pick us outfrom the ground clutter. Finally we select theforward hemisphere setting, and set the radarmode switch to 'Auto'. When we actuallytransmit, the computer will automaticallytrack ten targets, analysing speeds, range and

closing angle to assign threat priority order.But initially we leave the radar in the nakal(standby) mode, turned on, warmed up butnot transmitting. For now we cannot bedetected by the enemy's radar warningreceivers. Finally we confirm that the MasterArm switch is off while switching the weaponscontrol system mode switch to 'Radar'.

Finally the pilots turn on their SPO-1 5 radarwarning receivers. If the aircraft is illuminatedby any hostile radar, bleeps will sound intheir headsets and various lights on the RWRdisplay will illuminate. Lights along thebottom indicate the threat type, while lightsaround an aircraft plan view shape indicaterange, bearing and type (search, track, orlock-on) of radar signal.

Because the engagement will begin atBeyond Visual Range, we will only check theIRST system and helmet-mounted sight, andthe associated R-73 missiles, but will notselect them for immediate use. Similarly weset up the gunsight for the anticipatedwingspan of the target (which will makeranging more accurate) and adjust the HUDbrightness to take account of the ambientlight. If necessary we will pull up the thick,smoked-glass shield which shades the HUD.

Above: At least two ofMAPO's demonstrators(coded 777 and 999)wore a distinctive bluetoned camouflage. Thisechoed the colourscheme worn byIndonesian F-16s, andmarked a deliberatemove away from thestandard Russiancamouflage. Soviet-stylered stars were replacedby more modern Russiantricolour flags, at leaston the tail fins. (Art u rSarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

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BVR COMBAT

With preparations complete, 'Harry' checks in with the formation'sassigned battle control officer in the Ground Control Interceptbunker at the Regimental headquarters. Sitting behind a radar screenthe battle control officer will control the initial phase of theengagement, helping the MiG-29s get into the ideal firing position,and giving advice and information about threats and the overalltactical situation. The role of the Soviet GCI controller is still widelymisunderstood. He is there to provide information and offer advice,but many Russian fighter pilots feel (with some justification) thatthey are actually less reliant on GCI control than US pilots are oncontrol from AWACS aircraft.

Above: A Soviet MiG-29demonstrates its agilityat medium altitude. Theexact camouflage patternapplied to Soviet MiG-29s varied widely,sometimes with thedarker shade forward,sometimes with darkspine and wingtips.(Artur Sarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

Right: For BVR combat,the MiG-29 relies on apair of R-27 semi-activeradar homing missiles,carried on the inboardunder wing pylons. Theinitial stages of anengagement willtypically be conductedunder the control of aGCI or AWACScontroller, who gives theMiG-29 pilot guidance,advice and tacticalinformation. (ArturSarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

In a typical training sortie pitting pairs ofaircraft from the same regiment against eachother, another battle control officer may besitting in the same room, guiding the 'enemy'formation. But today the 'enemy' are Su-27sfrom a Regiment based in Poland, who willbe simulating American F-15s. Other pairs ofAltenburg MiG-29s will be targeted againstMiG-27s simulating NATO fighter bombers,but for now, that is not our concern.

Soviet pilots do not get the sameopportunities for dissimilar air combattraining as do their NATO counterparts, sincetheir is much more commonality between theWarsaw Treaty member nations. If all yourallies are flying the same basic types(principally the MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29) that is all you will get to fight against.However, individual pilots, squadrons andeven whole regiments do sometimes deployto combat training centres like Mary inTurkmenistan, where they could fly againstfighters being deliberately flown to simulatespecific Western types, by specially trained'Aggressor' pilots, using real-world Westerntactics and USAF style AWACS and EWsupport. But such opportunities were rare,and most ACM training was conducted at

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squadron level. Thus even today's Su-27srepresent an unfamiliar and exotic opponent.

A beep in the headphones and a flash ofgreen and yellow lights in the SPO-15 RWRdisplay indicate that the formation has justbeen swept by a search radar. The lights tell

us that the enemy fighter is still too far awayto get a lock-on, but before he does so, it istime to react. The MiC-29 formation breaksturning perpendicular to the threat radar (apulse Doppler radar requiring differentialspeed (overtake or closure) to see a target. By

Above: One of Mikoyan'sdemonstrator aircraftturns over the factoryairfield at Lukhovitsky. Atleast 26 MiG-29s arevisible on the airfield'scrowded storage andflight test ramps. Theavailability of so manyunsold 'Fulcrum-A'airframes prompted thefactory and OKB toaggressively marketupgraded versions of thisbasic variant, with somesuccess. (ArturSarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)Left: The MiG-29'ssuperb high Alpha andlow speed handlingcharacteristics gave theaircraft a useful edge inany low-speed, closerange engagement, whilethe aircraft's very rapidacceleration made it auseful BVR missilelaunch platform. (ArturSarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

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RANGE/LOITER PERFORMANCEThe MiG-29's radius of action varies enormously accordingto altitude and airspeed. Generally high altitude andlowspeed gives longer range.The standard MiG-29Tulcrum-A' carries 4,400kg with a centreline fuel tank. Ituses 400kg for start-up, taxi, and take-off, 500kg during theengagment (including one minute in afterburner), andusualy requires a 1,000kg reserve on its return to base.

turning across the enemy's track, we becomeeffectively invisible, and disappear from hisradar. If the enemy had been working withGCI we might also have dived to the ground,aiming to go below the GCI's radar horizon.But against autonomous 'F-15s' 'Harry'switches the radar from 'standby' toilluminate and turns back in towards thetarget as soon as the radar has resolved someof the false returns and clutter generated as itbegan to transmit.

A rectangular radar cursor box appearedover one of the blips on the display screen."Rubege odin" (radar lock on) 'Harry' tellsthe battle control officer and his wingman.Although the radar contact is still too faraway to see, GCI can tell the MiG-29 pilotwhether it is friendly or hostile, if this is notapparent from the target's speed, altitude,heading and IFF responses. Lock-on isachieved by clicking a white button on theinner throttle. The IFF then interrogates thetarget, and the computer works out firingparameters and solutions from target courseand speed.

"Pusk razrayshon" (Launch is approved)says a friendly female voice in 'Harry'sheadset. The grating and metallic tones of thefactory-programmed female voice can easilybe replaced at unit level, and many unitshave persuaded local sirens to record thevarious messages used by the voice warningsystem. In the 968th IAP the messages havebeen taped by a Soviet GCI controller

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Left: Burners ablaze, aMiG-29 thunders intothe air, its landing gearjust beginning itsretraction. (ArturSarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

Right: The MiG-29 is atits most dangerous in alow-speed turning fight,and especially in thevertical. (ArturSarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

renowned for her attractiveness andsensuously husky voice.

The MiG-29 normally carries two R-27 (AA-10 'Alamo') missiles, either two semi-activeradar homing missiles, or one SARH versionand one IR homing. If a mixed pair arecarried they will often both be fired together,in a ripple, to maximise the probability ofachieving a kill. The two missiles home onthe target independently, and both requirecountering in different ways. Even if twoSARH versions are carried they may both befired together, especially if the fight is aboutto go from being a BVR 'joust' to a close-in'knife fight'.

The reason for this is simple. If only onemissile is fired, leaving one 'Alamo' on thelaunch aircraft, the remaining missile imposessevere limitations on the aircraft. With anassymetric underwing load of that sort, theMiG-29 is limited to 1 5 AoA, instead of 24.The MiG-295 solved this problem by allowingthe simultaneous launch of two R-27s againstseparate targets.

Today, Harry simulates the launch of one R-27, calling "Range Two" as he does so. Havingalready calculated the range and missile flighttime he simultaneously punches the stopwatchbutton on the cockpit clock. This is vital andwill keep him aware of the missile's flight timeleft to run. He then turns hard away from thetarget, so that he is flying down one edge ofhis radar cone while the semi-active missileflies down the other edge. This complicatesthe enemy's task in returning the shot. 'Harry'and his GCI controller carefully monitor thetarget's reaction, and 'Harry' continues tomanoeuvre to prevent the target, and hismissile, from flying outside the cone generatedby the missile illuminator. When the missilereaches its target (and when the stopwatchhand reaches the pre-calculated point,showing the pilot that this has happened)'Harry' can complete his breakawaymanoeuvre, and run away out of range of areturn missile shot. With help from the battlecontrol officer he can then set up for a secondsimulated missile launch opportunity.

It will not always be possible or desirable tofire a BVR missile and run away, and theengagement may flow naturally to a close-range encounter using IR-homing missiles.

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CLOSE-IN COMBATThe primary sensor in the close-in fight is the IRST, which can detect,locate, and track a target from its IR signature, and which can directthe seeker-heads of the IR-homing R-73 missiles towards the target.At short BVR ranges, the IRST can function as a passive targetdetection system, freeing the pilot from reliance on his radar.

Above: The key to theMiG-29's close-incombat capability lies inthe pilot's ability todesignate off-boresighttargets for his weaponssystem (using a helmetsight) and in his ability todrag the aircraft's noseoff-axis, a capabilitydubbed 'pointability' bysome. This means thatthe MiG-29 represents asignificant threat evenwhen its nose may bepointing some way offfrom the target. (ArturSarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

Even more significantly, the weaponscomputer can link the missile seekers to thepilots helmet, whose position is measuredusing tiny IR sensors. This allows the weaponssystem to 'know' where the pilot is looking.Since the missiles can be slaved to the helmetthey can thus follow the direction in whichthe pilot is looking, and will automaticallylock on to any target he sees. Thus the pilotonly has to look at the enemy to be able tolock on his IR-homing missiles. In a fast-moving dogfight, many MiG-29 pilots fly withthe missile trigger depressed, so that if theHMS or IRST locks onto a target as it flashespast, the missile will lock on and fireautomatically.

In our training exercise, after the secondsimulated R-27 shot, 'Harry' continues toclose with the Su-27 to engage it at close

range. As soon as the simulated missilereaches its target 'Harry' switches the sensorselector from 'Radar' to 'Close Combat InfraRed'. Immediately two parallel lines appearedin the HUD indicating the limits of the IRSTsensor's lock-on zone. 'Harry' manoeuvreshard to place the target between these linesand could squeeze the trigger, committing amissile to launch as soon as the enemy islocked-up. Instead, he waits for the enemyaircraft to enter the IRST 'ladder' and as thelock-on tone growls in his headset, hesqueezes the trigger. "Pusk" (launch) he calls.

Even in a maximum range head-on shot,the R-73 'Archer' is extremely hard to defeat.It is extremely agile, very fast, and has a longreach, so is almost impossible to out-manoeuvre. Moreover, the missileincorporates sophisticated algorithms whichallow it to discriminate between ihe IRsignature of its targets, and the IR signatureoffered by decoy flares.

If the opponent survives the first missile, orif the MiG-29 is sucked into a turning fightwith enemy survivors, the 'Archer' is evenmore effective in a turning fight. With theweapons control system selector switched to'Shlem' (helmet) and the trigger depressed, amissile will fire automatically if either the

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helmet or the IRST cues the missile seekerheads onto a target and they achieve a lock-on. This allows the pilot to designate a targetand achieve lock-on without having tomanoeuvre to put that target into his HUD.Essentially, if he can see the target anywherein the whole windscreen, he can fire amissile. And as if that were not enough, the

pilot can momentarily drag the nose of theMiG-29 up to 90 away from the direction offlight by performing the equivalent to anairshow 'Cobra' manoeuvre. This can beenough to give the MiG-29 pilot a missilesnapshot against a target flying directlyopposite him on the other side of a circle, ora target flying directly above him.

Above: The MiG-29'sprimary WVR missile isthe R-73 (NATO AA-11'Archer') rated by manyas being the best close-range AAM in serviceanywhere in the world.(Artur Sarkisyan/MiC-MAPO)

Left: Still laden with afull missile load, one ofMikoyan's MIG-29demonstrators settles onfinal approach. Becauseof the lack of clearancebetween jetpipes andrunway, the MiG-29approaches fast, at arelatively flat angle, andis unable to use anysignificant amount ofaerodynamic braking.

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BUGGING OUT AND RUNNING HOMEOnce you are out of missiles (and the MiG-29 carries four R-73s inaddition to its two R-27s, or six R-73s) the sensible option is to bug-out and run away, returning to base for reloads. But as any fighterpilot in the world will confirm, there is no kill like a guns kill, and ina training engagement (where there is no danger of being 'blownaway' by an unsporting enemy who still has a missile left) thetemptation to practise one's guns-tracking can be irresistable. Thus,as the Su-27s attempt to turn and burn with the MiG-29s (despitestill being heavily laden with fuel for their long journey back to base)the MiG-29 pilots go in for the kill. Selecting the 'narrow field ofview' for the IRST, 'Harry' sets the cannon rate of fire selector toburst, which would let loose 25 rounds of HE 30-mm ammunitionwith every squeeze of the trigger, if he had not re-checked that theMaster Armament switch was indeed still 'Off.

To destroy his opponent using the gun'Harry' manoeuvres to place the aimingreticle over the target. The letter 'A' appearsin the HUD as the laser rangefinder fires,refining the aiming solution. A tone in the

headset indicates laser and IRST lock-on.Once this is achieved, MiG-29 pilots insistthe gun cannot miss! When he told meabout the cannon and its laser rangingsystem, Mikhail Waldenberg, one of theaircraft's creators said that: "If I'd knownhow accurate the gun was going to be, I'dhave halved the capacity of the ammunitiontank. You don't need 150 rounds. Ever."

In a real engagement, there would beknow way of telling whether one of thehostiles might still have a missile, so the besttactic would be to 'bug out' and run away.But while tangling with manoeuvrable fast jetopponents for a guns kill is never a goodidea, there are times when the gun can beuseful. If you get closer to your target thanthe minimum range of your missile, the gunis a handy weapon to have in reserve. Thegun can be used for delivering a 'warning

Above: A Mikoyan demonstrator settlesonto Zhukhovskii's long runway. MiC-MAPO maintains a test complex at theonce-secret base. (ArturSarkisyan/MiG-MAPO)

Below: Clouds of smoke stream fromthe MiG-29's tyres as it 'arrives'. Thebrake chute is already fully deployed inthis photo, having been actuated wellbefore touchdown.

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shot' across the bows of an aircraft which isfailing to obey instructions during a short-of-war intercept. The gun also represents a low-cost method of engaging low-value orunarmed targets, and gives a ground strafecapability.

Nothing burns fuel like a manoeuvringdogfight, however, and it is soon time for'Harry' and his wingman to break off theengagement and return to Nbitz.

With 1000 kg of fuel remaining, we willhold between 210 and 215 km/h (113-166kts) on approach, touching down at 190km/h (103 kts). 'Harry' sets the throttle to80% RPM, and deploys the flap to thelanding position (the flap limiting speed is350 km/h (189 kts). The danger of atailscrape means that the approach has to belong, fast and flat, but to reduce speed forthe touchdown, instead of raising the nosefurther, 'Harry' deploys the brake chute whilestil l airborne. The clover-leaf chute deployswith a loud crack and the aircraft

decelerates, dropping gently onto the runwayfor a soft and gentle touchdown. Behindhim, his less experienced wingman getsslightly low on approach, adding power tocompensate as the voice warning systemgently suggests: "Glissad Opasno!"(Glideslope is dangerous!). Taxying back in,'Harry' and his wingmen turn wide into theflight line, wagging tail sections out over thegrass as they release the brake chutes. This isa helpful gesture for the groundcrew, whodon't have so far to walk to retrieve thechutes. The two MiG-29s taxy back to theirparking spaces, guided by marshallers, andshut down their engines. As the canopiescome up, 'black men' plug in the built-intest equipment and brandish aircraft servicingrecords for the pilots to sign. An astonishingamount of data is recorded on tape duringevery flight, and this is downloaded foranalysis. Then it's back to the operationsbuilding for debriefing and that well-deserved second breakfast.

Below: This MiG-29 isseen landing atFarnborough during its1988 debut. The fullydeployed brake chute isdragging along therunway, and willcontinue to do so untilthe nosewheels arelowered.

A Czechoslovakia!! MiG-29manoeuvres hard during anairshow performance. MajorVaclav 'Wendy' Vasek was oneof the leading exponents of theMiG-29 at internationalairshows, demonstrating thatthe tailslide and cobra werenot the sole preserve ofMikoyan OKB test pilots.

MiG-29IN FOCUS

The MiG-29 is a fascinating aircraftfrom a technical standpoint,

aerodynamically more advancedthan any Western fighter, yet withsystems and avionics which verge

on the primitive.

MiG-29 IN FOCUS

MlG-29 'FULCRUM-A', 968TH IAPNbitz (also known as Altenburg) was traditionally a reconnaissance and fighter-bomber base, transferring to thefighter role in 1989, when the 16th Air Army gained a less overtly offensive posture. The based MiG-27Ds andMiG-27Ms moved to Grossenhain to replace departing Su-24s, and were themselves replaced by the 968th IAP,which moved in from Russia. The Regiment's squadrons used a mix of red-coded 'Fulcrum-C's and some much olderventral-finned 'Fulcrum-As' which wore yellow codes, thinly outlined in blue. These aircraft (drawn from the firstMiG-29 production batches) carried a unit badge, in the shape of a swept red star, superimposed on a blue wing.This badge was almost identical to the insignia worn by Yak-1Ms, Yak-7s and Yak-9s of the 3rd Independent AirCorps during the Great Patriotic War. Though old, the unit's aircraft were in top-notch condition, and had beenupgraded with broad-chord rudders and some other features normally associated with later 'Fulcrum' variants.

RADARThe actual range performance and target discrimination offered by the MiG-29 s N-019's radar (known to NATO as 'S