Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West to take a decision as soon as possible about the MiG-29 fighters that are being offered to his country, warning that the Russian threat level has reached its limits.


On February 25, 2022, the second day of the entry of Russian forces into Ukraine, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that its MiG-29 had shot down a Sukhoi-35 to Russia, so what is the story of the MiG-29 fighter that Moscow began manufacturing in the seventies the last century?

Origin and development

The MiG-29 is a fourth-generation combat aircraft, designed for air control during the height of the Soviet Union's power.

October 6, 1976: The MiG-29 made its first test flight.

1983: Entered service in the Soviet Air Force.

It is an air-to-air fighter with one or two seats, with two engines, and its mission is to destroy air targets within the limits of radar coverage, and to destroy ground targets using unguided weapons.

The fixed-wing profile provides good maneuverability and control at subsonic speeds, including maneuvers at high angles of attack.

The weight of the aircraft is about 11,000 kilograms, and its maximum speed is 2,400 km per hour when it is at altitude, and 1,500 km when it is close to the ground.

The MiG-29 can carry two medium-range R-27 air-to-air missiles, and six short-range R-73 and R-60 missiles. (R-60) Joe Ju.

It can carry aerial bombs weighing up to 3,000 kilograms.

These aircraft are known to be able to carry 6 nuclear bombs.

It became the main fighter of the Russian Air Force and was popular with many countries, and it is still in service in the Russian Air Force.

MiG-29 entered service in the Soviet Air Force in 1983 (Reuters)

Ivan Mikoyan .. designer of the "Mig-29"

September 1, 1927: Ivan Mikoyan is born. His father, Anastas Mikoyan, was a close confidant of early Bolshevik leaders and a key ally of Soviet Communist Party leader Nikita Khrushchev.

Ivan studied and graduated from the Military Aviation Mechanics School, and also graduated from the Zhukovsky Aeronautical Engineering Academy.

1953: Mikoyan begins his career at the state-owned MiG Corporation for the design of military aircraft, which was co-founded by his uncle Artyom on behalf of the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau (MIG).

He rose through the ranks to become the chief designer of the company.

Mikoyan is best known for his contribution to the development of the engineering form of the MiG-21, and its design of the MiG-29, for which he was awarded the State Prize in the era of the Soviet Union.

Mikoyan was twice awarded the State Prize during the Soviet era for his design of the MiG-29.

Mikoyan worked until the end of his life as a consultant to the Russian company that built MiG fighters.

November 25, 2016: The death of Ivan Mikoyan was announced in Moscow.

The MiG Corporation says that after Mikoyan, the Soviet Union and Russia produced more than 1,600 MiG-29 fighters.

Spain has deployed 4 MiG-29 combat aircraft to Bulgaria, its NATO ally (French)

Russian fighter.. deals, operations and accidents

2001: Signing a contract with Sudan to supply military equipment, without giving details.

2004: Announcing the sale of MiG-29 fighters to Khartoum, in implementation of the 2001 agreement.

At the time, the head of the state-owned MiG aircraft manufacturing company, Valery Turianin, said that the company fulfilled its contracts to supply 10 MiG-29SE combat aircraft and two MiG-29UB aircraft for training.

2005: Russian-Algerian talks witnessed the delivery of 50 MiG-29 aircraft to the latter.

The recent contracts between the two countries included the sale of 22 Sukhoi-24 tactical combat aircraft, KH-35 missiles, transport helicopters, and maintenance services for coastguard ships.

April 20, 2008: A MiG-29 bomber shoots down a Georgian drone that was on a mission over Abkhazia.

- December 2008: Head of the Russian Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation in the ministry, Mikhail Dmitriev, said that his country pledged to give Lebanon 10 MiG-29s as part of military aid to Beirut.

2015: Under an agreement signed between Russia and Egypt, Cairo was provided with 46 MiG-29 fighters.

2016: Egypt purchased 50 MiG-29 warplanes from Russia as part of a “very large arms deal” that also included an advanced air defense system, and 46 “Ka-52” aircraft, the value of the deal amounting to 5 billion dollars. Almost.

November 2016: The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a MiG-29 Cooper fighter crashed in the Mediterranean near the Syrian coast, after taking off from the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

On board the aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, during its flight to Syria, there are 4 single-seat MiG-29 Cooper aircraft, and two of the same model with two seats.

- The ministry said that the fighter crashed due to a technical failure a few kilometers from the aircraft carrier, but the pilot managed to eject and was recovered and transferred to the ship.

October 2018: The Russian authorities announced the crash of a MiG-29 warplane in the outskirts of Moscow, and said that the pilots managed to eject from it before the crash thanks to the emergency seat ejection system.

November 2018: The Russian Information Agency quoted the Russian United Aircraft Corporation as saying that a Russian-made MiG-29 plane crashed in Egypt during a training flight for the Egyptian Air Force.

January 2021: Operation Volcano of Rage of the Government of National Accord published pictures showing intense flight of Russian MiG-29 fighters in the sky of Jufra (central Libya).

- "Barakat Al-Ghadab" said on its Facebook page that these fighters were in charge of protecting Russian air cargo planes transporting Sudanese Janjaweed mercenaries between the city of Sirte (450 km east of Tripoli) and Jufra (south of Sirte), which includes a large air base.

May 2021: The American "military watch magazine" specialized in military affairs revealed that the Iraqi Air Force is heading to replace the American "F-16" fighters with modern Russian "Mig-29" fighters. .

October 2021: The US ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, spoke about Russia giving MiG-29s to retired Libyan Major General Khalifa Haftar.

- The ambassador spoke about the participation of aircraft in military maneuvers of brigades affiliated with Haftar, led by his son Khaled, in one of the coastal areas west of Benghazi.