Russia grounds Mig 29s: Delhi thinks designer & manufacturer doesn't know its planes–fails to ground its New Flying Coffins

Posted on 14 March 2009. Tags: Indian Air force, Russian Mig 29

As if the increase in the price of the Air Carft Carrier wasn’t enough, now the contraption that are supposed to go on top of it don’t fly. Under the Gorshkov contract, India is acquiring 16 MiG-29K, the carrier-borne version of the air force fighters, for the navy. Of course Bharat may never get the Admiral Gorshkov.

The Russian Mig 29 was built to counter the American F-16 and F/A-18 Hornet. It now in serious trouble. It disintegrates in mid air. Some think its the material, other think its the design which cannot handle the thrust.

MOSCOW (AP) – The Russian air force says a significant part of its fighter fleet has been found unsafe to fly and been grounded.

A check of the fleet was begun after a MiG-29 crashed in southern Siberia on Dec. 5 during a training flight and the pilot was killed. Another such plane had crashed in the same area in October.

Air force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said Friday that about 90 MiG-29s had been found unsafe to fly and would need repairs. The check was conducted as a military panel continued looking into the cause of December’s crash, which occurred when a part of the jet’s tail section broke off.

Drik said about 100 other MiG-29s have been cleared for flights, and a number of others remain to be checked. 90 Russian MiGs found unsafe to fly. Associated Press

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March 15, 2009: After carefully inspecting 290 Russian MiG-29 fighters, which were grounded for over two months, after one of them crashed last December 5th, over 30 percent were found to be suffering from metal corrosion. The cause of the December crash was structural failure (the tail separated, in flight, from the rest of the aircraft). It was initially believed that poor maintenance and a shortage of spare parts was the main cause for a string of similar incidents. But the inspections revealed corrosion problems in aircraft with as few as 150 hours in the air. This is still probably a maintenance (or lack of) issue, because even the low air-time MiG-29s have been in service for several years. The aircraft just sit there, rusting away.

The MiG-29 has been an increasingly troublesome aircraft, while the Su-27 (and its many derivatives) has flourished. But all Russian fighters have suffered from years of poor maintenance and lack of upgrades. Russian Air Force generals have warned that, without a large infusion of money for upgrades, they will lose more and more of these aircraft to old age over the next decade. Currently, Russia only has about 650 fighters, including the grounded MiG-29s. The Rot Withing. Strategy Page

India made aviation history by claiming that it knew more about the plans than the designer and manufacturer of the plane. Russia evaluated its planes and found them lacking. However the Indian Force seems to know more about the planes then the design engineers in Moscow. Delhi finds nothing wrong with the planes.

NEW DELHI, March 14 (Xinhua) — India’s Air Force chief said on Saturday that the country’s MiG-29 jet fighters are safe despite Russia’ decision to ground a large number of such aircraft due to structural defects, the semi-official Press Trust of India reported.

Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Fali Homi Major said MiG-29s were of various series and he did not know details of what series of aircraft the Russians had grounded, according to the report.

He also said that India had carried out checks with its MiG-29 aircraft and found no problem.Editor: Yan. India says its MiG-29 safe despite Russian grounding of such aircraft. www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-14 22:04:02

One third of the Russian fleet has been grounded pending completion of the investigation which may lead to the grounding of a substantial portion of the Russian Air Force.

Moscow, March 13 (PTI): The Russian Air Force has grounded almost 30 per cent of its MiG-29 fleet because of structural defects, a move that could have ramifications for the Indian Air Force that has a sizeable number of these fighters.

“About 90 aircraft out of 200 tested after the crash of the MiG-29 fighter last December have been grounded,” Interfax reported, quoting a Russian Air Force spokesperson, Col Vladimir Dirk.

“More aircraft could be grounded on completion of the air crash probe which followed two crashes last year.”

The Russian Air Force has a fleet of about 300 MiG-29 fighters that make up its prime air superiority platform.

The IAF has 54 MiG-29 planes, comprising three squadrons. All the aircraft are being upgraded with the help of original manufacturers and some other countries to extend their life by 15-20 years.

Under the Gorshkov contract, India is acquiring 16 MiG-29K, the carrier-borne version of the air force fighters, for the navy.

Russia has also fielded the MiG-35 in the Indian tender for the acquisition of 126 MMRCA, which is a futuristic derivative of the MiG-29 fighter.

The probe was ordered after a MiG-29 crashed in December in the Khabarovsk region during a training sortie, killing its pilot. One of the fighter’s fins disintegrated in flight.

Initial reports have identified corrosion as the cause of the disintegration. It could take another two months to pinpoint the reason, Interfax said.

“At this juncture, out of the whole fleet, 200 aircraft have been checked and about 100-plus fighters have been cleared for flights. Rest of the aircraft are being checked,” Dirk said.

He said initially the entire fleet was grounded, but 100 aircraft were later cleared for flying after checks.

Experts, he said, had evolved methods to fix the defects. The grounded fighters would return to service once funds were available for repairs.

The twin-engine MiG-29, codenamed Fulkrum by Nato, has been in service with the Soviet and then the Russian Air Force since the 1980s.

Last year, Algeria, one of Russia’s closest Cold War era allies, had returned 15 MiG-29, saying the quality was poor. Calcutta Telegraph. Russia MiG jitters for India- Moscow grounds model that makes up three IAF squadrons. A MiG-29 fighter: Structural trouble

Beijing, Dhaka, Colombo, Khatmandu and Islamabad are laughing. The American Air Force is in stitches and Jane’s Defense weekly is besides themselves unable to put a sober spin on the humor emanating from the Delhi’s hilarious statements about its Mig 29s.

The impact on the Indian Defense industry may be profound. 54 of its Migs may be duds. Here is some additional information about the Mig 29.

The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Russian: ?????? ???-29) is a 4th generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other nations. NATO’s reporting name for the MiG-29 is “Fulcrum”, which was unofficially used by Soviet pilots in service.[2] It was developed to counter new American fighters such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the F/A-18 Hornet.

In 1969 the Soviet Union learned of the U.S. Air Force’s “F-X” program, which resulted in the F-15 Eagle. The Soviet leadership soon realized that the new American fighter would represent a serious technological advantage over existing Soviet fighters. What was needed was a better-balanced fighter with both good agility and sophisticated systems. In response, the Soviet General Staff issued a requirement for a Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel (PFI, roughly “Advanced Frontline Fighter”, literally “Perspective Frontline Fighter”). Specifications were extremely ambitious, calling for long range, good short-field performance (including the ability to use austere runways), excellent agility, Mach 2+ speed, and heavy armament. The aerodynamic design for the new aircraft was largely carried out by TsAGI in collaboration with the Sukhoi design bureau. (This would become the Sukhoi Su-27.)

However, in 1971 the Soviets determined the PFI aircraft would be too expensive to procure in the quantities needed, and divided the requirement into the TPFI (Tyazhyolyy Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel, “Heavy Advanced Tactical Fighter”) and the LPFI (Lyogkiy Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel, “Lightweight Advanced Tactical Fighter”) programs, the latter paralleling the contemporary USAF decision that led to the “Lightweight Fighter” program and the F-16 Fighting Falcon and YF-17 Cobra. The heavy fighter remained with Sukhoi, resulting in the Sukhoi Su-27, while the lightweight fighter went to Mikoyan. Detailed design work on the resultant Product 9, designated MiG-29A, began in 1974, with the first flight taking place on 6 October 1977. The pre-production aircraft was first spotted by United States reconnaissance satellites in November of that year; it was dubbed Ram-L because it was observed at the Zhukovsky flight test center near the town of Ramenskoye. Early Western speculations suggested that the Ram-L was very similar in appearance to the YF-17 Cobra and powered by afterburning Tumansky R-25 turbojets.Wiki

The MiG-29 entered Russian service in 1983, as the answer to the American F-16. Some 1,600 MiG-29s have been produced so far, with about 900 of them exported. The 22 ton aircraft is roughly comparable to the F-16, but it depends a lot on which version of either aircraft you are talking about. Russia is making a lot of money upgrading MiG-29s, mainly for export customers. Not just adding new electronics, but also making the airframe more robust. The MiG-29 was originally rated at 2,500 total flight hours. At that time (early 80s), Russia expected MiG-29s to fly about a hundred or so hours a year. But some export customers flew them at nearly twice that rate, and now Russia is offering to spiff up those airframes so that the aircraft can fly up to 4,000 hours, with more life extensions upgrades promised. This won’t be easy, as the MiG-29 has a history of unreliability and premature breakdowns (both mechanical and electronic). Compared to Western aircraft, like the F-16, the MiG-29 is available for action about two thirds as much. While extending the life of the MiG-29 into the 2030s is theoretically possible, actually doing so will be real breakthrough in Russian aircraft capabilities. The way things are going now, the exported MiG-29 will still be flying, while those in the Russian Air Force will be grounded.

MiG combat aircraft have a long history of poor design and nasty flaws that limited their usefulness. But the basic stats of MiGs have always been good, and the idea was to build and use lots of them all at once to overwhelm the enemy. MiGs were not designed with experienced pilots in mind, but rather for a guy who can carry out some basic maneuvers, and do what he’s told by his controller. The makers of the Su-27 realized that air combat had changed, and quality now trumped quantity. MiG tried to make that transition with the MiG-29, but was unable to shed its old habits. The Rot Withing. Strategy Page

Here is a background on the Mig 29s.

This is an attempt to identify the many known and unknown variants and models of the MiG-29 Fulcrum family. It is based on interviews, MIG-MAPO brochures and literature and public domain research. One of the best open source summary documents is the yearly March issue of Air Force Magazine.

Fulcrum A: MiG-29B (Variant 1, Product 9-12) the basic production land based single-seater that was identified in three sub-blocks. (1) the first 110 with rear ventral tail fins, (2) continued production with ventral fins removed in favor of extended-rudders and chaff/flare dispensers incorporated from extended fairings down from the vertical tails to the top of the wings, and (3) the implementation of a redesigned nose gear and pitot tube strake. Total internal fuel of 7384 lbs. (3200 kg, 1136 US Gal, or 4300 liters) with a 2610 lbs. (1184 kg, 402 US Gal, or 1520 liter) Centerline tank while 40% of the MiG-29 fleet have eventually been made capable of 2 x 1130 liter Wing Tanks (3949 lbs, 1792 kg, or 608 US Gal) external wing tanks. All models have a hydra-mechanical flight control system and FOD inlet doors. After the first 100 aircraft above-wing chaff/flare dispensers (30) each) were included and under-fuselage vertical ventrals were removed. Around 350 a/c operating in the VVS, with the basic MiG-29 radar.

The export variant for the Warsaw Pact countries was called the 9-12 and others the 9-12B. Many of these basic A models were upgraded to the “fat back” standard but continue as a Fulcrum A (variant 3) since no significant weapon system upgrades were done. The main difference in the “fat-back” versions are the ejection seat harness attachments which are the same as in the MiG-29K or MiG-33. The pilot sits in the seat and attaches the parachute risers to clips on his integrated harness that he puts on before flight, just as the Western pilots do. The SUV (OEPrNK-29E2) Weapons System includes the N-019 Pulse Doppler radar, called the S-29 “TOPAZ” with the export version the N-019E “RUBIN”. The NATO designation is “SLOT BACK”. The newer N-019/3A “ZHUK” (Beetle) RLPK-29E coherent, multimode PD Radar can be retrofitted. The KOLS (OLIS) laser range finder / IR search and track system tied with a pilot helmet mounted sighting system completes the weapon system. The infra-red search and track ball mounted on a three-axis gimbaled turret protruding above the nose in front of the cockpit and incorporates a steerable laser range finder. The electronic warfare suite is centered around the SIRENA-3 radar warning receiver, two SO-69 type K-11E ECM transponder in the wing strake, and chaff/flare dispensers located on top of the wings. The aircraft is configured with RD-33 engines and the K-36DM/2-06 zero-zero ejection system.

The RLPK-29 (radiolokatsyonnyi pritselnyi kompleks) radar attack system includes the coherent Pulse-Doppler S-29 (N-019, NATO Slot Back ) look-down/shoot-down radar and its Ts100.02-02 digitial computer. Search Range, fighter-to-target, is of the 70 km (38 nm) class in the front hemisphere and 35 km (19 nm) in the rear hemisphere. Bomber sized targets are expected to be seen at twice the fighter ranges. The radar can show up to ten targets in search and can lock-on to the one of highest priority assigned by the computer. The radar search volume covers a cone ±67° in azimuth and +60°/-38° in elevation. The MiG-29S is equipped with a more jam-resistent N-019M “Topaz” radar with an improved computer for tracking through the beam area and capable of firing on two simultaneously tracked targets with the AA-12.

The RLPK-29 radar supported by the OEPrNK-29 (optiko-elektronnyi pritselno-navigatsyonnyi kompleks) optical-electronic navigation-attack system, which comprises the OEPS-29 sighting system, SN-29 navigation system, Ts100.02-02 digitial computer, SUO-29M2 weapons control system, and the SYel-31E2 data presentation system with ILS-31 Head-Up Display. The OEPS-29 (optiko-elektronnaya pritselnaya sistema) comprises the KOLS-29 Infra-Red / laser-ranger and track system. Nominal IR tracking range of 18km (10 nm) in the rear-hemisphere with a range resolution of 3 meters (10 ft). The Shchel-3UM helmet mounted sighting and target designator is available for use with the R-60 and R-73 missiles. The SN-29 (sistema navigats) includes the ARK-19 radio compass, the A037/06 radar altimeter, A-611 marker beacon receiver, and the A-323 short-range navigation and instrument landing system. The E502-20/04 Turkus ground-to-air and air-to-ground data link for target indication from land-based radars is joined by the R-862 communication radio, SO-69M IFF transponder and the SRO-2 Parol IFF transponder with its SRZ-15 interrogator.

ˆ The SPO-15 (L006-LM/101) Beryoza radar warning receiver and the 20SP passive countermeasures system with 2 x BVP-30-26M (blok vybrosa pomekh) chaff / flare dispensors built into the upper surfaces of the main wing. Each dispensor contains 30 x 26 mm PPI-26 flares or PPR-26 chaff cartridges.

Fulcrum B: MiG-29UB (Variant 2, Product 9-03) combat dedicated dual-seat trainer without radar and with continuous canopy, but has imbedded training system and functioning IRST/helmet sighting system, weapons capability underwing stores pylons retained, but no chaff/flares, with approximately 70 delivered to VVS and a similar number to export customers. Still in limited rate production for (Variant 3, Product 9-51) the advanced jet trainer first flown on 29Apr81. Production began in 1982 at Gorkiy (Sokol). The airframe is 100 mm longer with the instructor’s cockpit taking up a small amount of the number one tank capacity. Total internal fuel changes to 7000 lbs. (3175 kg, 1076 US Gal, or 4077 liters) with a 2610 lbs. (1184 kg, 402 US Gal, or 1520 liter) Centerline tank while some have been made capable of accepting 2 x 1130 liter Wing Tanks (3949 lbs, 1792 kg, or 608 US Gal) external wing tanks.

Fulcrum A: MiG-29SD (Variant 4, Product 9-12S) with “fatback” modification to the basic “A” model incorporating avionics modules for the Gardenyia-1 system. Total internal fuel continues to be 7384 lbs. (3200 kg, 1136 US Gal, or 4300 liters) which includes a 2610 lbs. (1184 kg, 402 US Gal, or 1520 liter) Centerline tank while most of the Variant 3 fleet have been made capable of 2 x 1130 liter Tanks (3949 lbs, 1792 kg, or 608 US Gal) external wing tanks. It has been rumored that this mod for the Variant 4 actually started the 20 US gallon more internal fuel argument due to the redesign of the number one fuel cell and reduced gun ammo from 150 to 120 rounds. This variant continues with the same basic NO-193A weapon system with minor improvements that included an improved new sighting system (IRST) combined with a better imbedded training system that allows for IR and radar target simulation. More built-in-test (BIT) functions, especially for the radar, was included in the EKRAN to reduce dependence on ground support equipment.

Fulcrum A: MiG-29S (Variant 5, Product 9-12S) that continued with production “fat-back” fuselage, small internal fuel increase of 20 US Gal. (76 liters) to 4376 liters (7514 lbs, 3408 kg, or 1156 US Gal) and provisions for two 1150 liter (304 US Gal or 1975 lbs) wing tanks. Total max fuel capacity of 8196 liters (2165 US Gal or 14,074 lbs) with centerline tank included. Possible 4,000 kg. (8,020 lbs.) of stores. Max Takeoff Weight increased to 19,700 kg. (43,340 lbs.). Published max range of 1,565 nm (2862 km). Configured with the improved N-019M “Slot Back” Radar capable of ten TWS target files with two simultaneous engagement tracks the AVV-AE (R-77) “Adder” missile. The first prototype was flown on 3Dec80 by V.M. Gorbunov. The four-section leading edge flap was changed to a five section construction. The improved N-019M “TOPAZ” radar enabled the R-27ER radar and the R-27ET IR missiles which are larger varieties of the R-27R and R-27T original design.

Fulcrum A: MiG-29SE (Variant 6, Product 9-12SE) unique production models of the MiG-29S for the VVS and export with or without “fat-back” structural mod, additional fuel, and specific weapon system configurations with the N-019M/ME improved radar design with 10 target track and two target engagement capability with AA-12 missiles. Malaysia received the MiG-29SE version without the “fatback” extended dorsal spine. The single-seatm version has a KCA-3 accessory to the electrical system, improved environmental control system (ECS), and a new active jammer linked to the radar warning receiver. Single and dual-seat aircraft have provisions for underwing fuel tanks, a new western IFF system, new tandem bomb racks for bigger air-to-ground loads, improved flight control system with roll limiter and greater rudder authority for higher AOA stability. Malaysia has asked for and received the AA-12 (R-77) missile software and suspension hardware. Provisions to incorporate the R-77 (AA-12 “Adder”) missile are being worked out. Internal fuel capacity appears not to be upgrade by 20 US gallons but remains at the Fulcrum A basic total internal fuel of 7384 lbs. (3200 kg, 1136 US Gal, or 4300 liters) with a 2610 lbs. (1184 kg, 402 US Gal, or 1520 liter) Centerline tank while all have been made capable of 2 x 1150 liter Wing Tanks (3949 lbs, 1792 kg, or 608 US Gal) external wing tanks. Also, max gross weight appears to also remain at the Fulcrum A level of 36,800 lbs. but could be upgraded. The SD variant has an internal active electronic warfare jamming system. MiG-29The MiG-29 Legacy of Models, Missions, & Roles By Easy Tartar