MiG-29

The MiG-29 was designed as a "progressive" model replacement for the air-superiority variants of the MiG-23 Flogger, namely the Flogger G & K models and the remaining MiG-21 bis Fishbed L/N clear air mass fighters. The design effort was initiated in secret during 1969, when the Soviet Air Force announced to the General Staff its formal "statement of requirements" for a new more powerful fighter, one that would challenge the best seen coming off the US production lines after the F-4 Phantom. The Mikoyan Bureau engineers then wrote a "Technical Assessment" specifying general performance parameters that could be achieved. Today the MiG-29 is marketed as a "superfighter", providing a state of the art machine with modern armament, superb aerodynamics, easy operations, and high reliability.

By the end of 1994, MAPO finally admitted that their advanced development program, that followed on after the basic MiG-29"B" was upgraded with the MiG-29"S" series kits ("SD", "SE", and "SM" versions) was slowly continuing in the form of their much improved MiG-29"M" and its potential export counterpart MiG-29"ME". The "M" itself evolved from the naval counterpart, the MiG-29"K", which had been canceled after loosing to the Sukhoi design. The main difference in the "SE" and "SD" versions is a new internal active jammer developed for the Naval "K". The "SM" is a further modified "SE" with a new radar featuring a synthetic aperture mode and PGM capability. Many features of these variants have been thoroughly tested and will be offered to any export customer in various model upgrade kits or in a new aircraft program. Today, it is expected that the MiG-29"M" development program will be continued under state funded programs.