FLUG REVUE April 2006: New variants for the MiG-9

April 2006

MiG-29: NEW VERSIONS IN DEVELOPMENT

By Piotr Butowski

Unlike the successful Sukhoi group, Russia's second fighter aircraft manufacturer, Rossiyskaya Samolotostroitelnaya Korporatsiya (= Russian Aircraft-Building Corporation 'MiG'), has been beset with difficulties in recent years. Frequent changes of management and hence of strategy have definitely not helped. Now the focus of attention is once more on the core business, that is, the further development and marketing of the classic MiG-29. This fighter jet continues to impress with its dazzling flying performance, but it needs a thorough overhaul of its systems if it is to hold its own in today's environment.

RSK MiG is naturally well aware of this, and in fact the design bureau was working on a MiG-29M (Izdeliye 9-15) and a MiG-29K (Izdeliye 9-31) for use on aircraft carriers in the second half of the 1980s. But after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, funding dried up. It was not until the Indians expressed interest in buying the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier (formerly “Baku”, and to be known as “Vikramaditja” in the future) together with some MiG-29K's to operate from it that the required new impetus was generated. In parallel with this, RSK MiG has taken the opportunity to update the MiG-29M. As a result, the company now has four new variants of the MiG-29 under development: the MiG-29K (Izdeliye 9-41) and MiG-29KUB (9-47) for India plus the MiG-29M (Izdeliye 9-61) and the two-seater MiG-29M2 (9-67).

Since the order for twelve MiG-29K's and four MiG-29 two-seaters in January 2004, which was finally formally confirmed on 6 December 2005 during the visit of the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to Moscow, the carrier variant has been the top priority. According to RSK MiG, the first MiG-29KUB will leave final assembly this March. Like the first K model, which is next in line, it will be used for the flight test programme, while two airframes are earmarked for static and fatigue tests.

The plan is to deliver the first aircraft to the Indian Navy as early as June 2007, so that pilot training in Russia can then commence. All the aircraft are due to have been delivered by 2009. Production is to be carried out at the Lukovitsi plant near Moscow.

The MiG-29K features wings with a span of 12 metres, whose wingtips can be folded upwards in order to fit on an aircraft carrier. It has double slotted flaps. The landing gear has naturally been strengthened and an arrester hook has been installed. As far as the equipment configuration is concerned, India has chosen the Zhuk-ME radar and the OEPS-29K electro-optical sensor. The cockpit is fitted with three large colour displays (15cm x 20.2cm). As well as these Russian systems, some French equipment such as an inertial navigation system with GPS module from Sagem or the TopSight-E helmet display from Thales have to be integrated. Also on the equipment list are Indian radios and the EL/L-8222 jamming pod from Elta of Israel. Integration will be facilitated by an open system architecture and a Mil.Std. 1553B compliant data bus.

Unlike the MiG-29K, the avionics equipment on the MiG-29M (which has recently been named the MiG-35) is still undecided. One possible radar is the Zhuk-A from Fasotron NIIR, which incorporates an antenna with active electronic beam steering.

As far as the airframe is concerned, the MiG-35 will be broadly similar to the MiG-29K, although lighter landing gear and some changes of detail will reduce the empty weight by about 800 kilograms. Moreover, the wings have a wingspan of only 11.36m. The high point of the new type is thrust vector control for the RD-33MK engines from Klimov. The Klimovsky Vektor Tyagi (KLIVT) nozzles can rotate plus or minus 15 degrees in the vertical plane and plus or minus 8 degrees in the horizontal plane. They are moved by a hydraulically activated ring (three actuating cylinders). The system has been undergoing flight tests in the MiG-29OVT (Otklaniayemyi Vektor Tyagi = movable thrust vector) since July 2003. The aircraft had its public debut in August 2005 at the MAKS Air Show in Zhukovski.

All the new MiG-29 models are intended to be multi-purpose fighter aircraft and hence in a position to carry a significantly higher weapons load. The air-to-ground guided missiles include the supersonic Kh-31 and the Kh-29T with TV seeker head plus KAB-500Kr bombs. The MiG-29K's will also be fitted with the Kh-35U anti-ship guided missile (range 130km). For aerial combat, the arsenal will be supplemented by the R-27E (95km range) and the RVV-AE.

One potential customer for the MiG-35 is India, which over the next few months plans to issue an official invitation to tender for a new medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), having solicited initial information from Boeing (F-18), Dassault (Mirage 2000-5 Mk.II), Lockheed Martin (F-16), RSK MiG and Saab (Gripen) at the beginning of 2005. A tough and protracted competition is expected, with the final contract award likely to be determined by political considerations. The plan is to initially purchase 126 aircraft, the overwhelming majority of which are to be built by Hindustan Aeronautics under licence. Recently numbers as high as 200 were discussed.

While the MiG-29K and MiG-35 are being rebuilt, RSK MiG is trying to make the MiG-29 modernisation programme attractive to the numerous operators of the MiG-29. As the Russian armed forces are not expected to place any orders due to lack of funds, the company is having to rely on export customers. One initial success was achieved in December 2002, when Yemen placed an order to have its 20 aircraft upgraded to the SMT standard (or UBT standard for the four 2-seaters). Then in 2004 Eritrea ordered two MiG-29SMT's. A contract with Algeria was apparently concluded at the start of this year for the supply of 36 MiG-29SMT's worth $1.5 billion. According to press reports, India also plans to upgrade its fleet of nearly 70 MiG-29's for $888 million (Euro740 million).

Under the acronym SMT (MiG-29S + Modernizirovannyi + Toplivo (fuel)), RSK MiG is offering a variety of modules which can be implemented independently of each other. These include:

Replacement of the N109 radar by the Zhuk-ME – this is essential if air-to-ground weapons are to be deployed
Mil-Std. 1553B database and digital avionics with open architecture, glass cockpit and hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS)
950 litre auxiliary tank on the upper side of the fuselage. A 2,000 litre tank has also been tested, but this apparently impacted on the flying characteristics. Auxiliary fuel tanks accommodating 2,000 litres below the fuselage and 1,520 litres beneath the wings are possible, while another possibility would be to install an in-flight refuelling probe.

On top of this, RSK MiG has succeeded in extending the service life of the MiG-29 from 2,000 flying hours to 4,000. This has been achieved by reinforcing some of the critical airframe parts and introducing diagnostic systems (condition-based maintenance). New-build machines are expected to have a service life as high as 6,000 hours. These measures will reduce operating costs drastically – according to RSK MiG, by 40 percent.

From FLUG REVUE 4/2006

Last updated 10 March 2006

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