Page 85 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

the late 1970s. Detailed design work, WEAPONS
however, began as late as 1984, with
the new MiG-29K (9-31) intended to be
included in the air wing of the newly OPTIONS
built short take-o but arrested recovery
(STOBAR) aircraft carriers of the Project The MiG-29K/KUB sports nine
1143.5 class. pylons for carrying weapons, eight
For STOBAR operation the aircraft under the wings and one under
required powerful afterburning engines, the fuselage. In addition, the two
innermost underwing pylons can
while landing was to be performed using be tted with tandem bomb racks,
a desk arrestor system in conjunction increasing the number of available
with a tailhook. The new RD-33K hardpoints to 13.
engine, speci cally designed for the The air-to-air weaponry integrated
shipborne ‘Fulcrum’, introduced a so- on the Indian aircraft includes
a mixture of RVV-AE and R-73E
called emergency afterburning mode missiles. Up to eight can be carried
to enable the MiG-29K to be launched in di erent combinations, or six
o the ski-jump at a take-o weight of plus two underwing fuel tanks.
up to 39,010lb (17,700kg) from the ‘ rst The air-to-surface missile options
extensive use by RAC MiG for ight trials start position’, providing a take-o run cleared for the shipborne ‘Fulcrum’
include the Kh-31A and Kh-35E/
and customer demonstration purposes. of just 344ft (105m). At its maximum UE active radar-homing anti-ship
The de nitive export derivative of permissible deck take-o weight of missiles as well as the Kh-31P
the new-generation ‘Fulcrum’, dubbed 49,379lb (22,400kg), the MiG-29K was to anti-radiation missile and Kh-29T/
the MiG-29M/M2, was launched into be capable of being launched from the TE TV-guided missiles — up to four
can be carried under the wings.
production in 2015 for Egypt, which Below left to second start position, which provided a Guided bomb options include up
placed an order for no fewer than 46 right: The pre- take-o run of some 640ft (195m). to four KAB-500Kr 1,100lb (500kg)
aircraft. The rst of these are reported to series MiG-29K To be suitable for carrier operation, TV-guided bombs, while the
have been delivered in 2017. The contract landing on the the MiG-29K received a new wing with unguided weapons selection takes
Indian aircraft
is priced at around $2 billion and the last carrier INS power folding at one-third span, as well in free–fall bombs weighing up to
1,100lb (500kg) each and various
of the new-generation ‘Fulcrums’ for the Vikramaditya as a new, strengthened undercarriage, rockets. The maximum combat load
Egyptian air arm were expected to be during a test center-body and nose sections, in is 12,100lb (5,500kg).
and evaluation
taken on strength in 2019. campaign held addition to an increased-area tailplane The MiG-29K/KUB retains the
The MiG-29M/M2 built for Egypt di ers in August and and arrestor hook. proven GSh-301 30mm cannon with
from the VKS MiG-35 in its export-standard September Two MiG-29K prototypes were built and 150 rounds, installed in the port
2012 in the
leading-edge extension.
mission avionics, such as the radar, electro- Barents Sea. It the rst of these, wearing serial ‘311’, took The Russian Navy’s shipborne
optical targeting system, communication is armed with to the air for the rst time on June 23, ‘Fulcrums’ are capable of using non-
system, electronic warfare system and two KAB-500Kr 1988. It was then tested on the deck of export versions of all air-to-surface
guided bombs.
identi cation friend or foe system. RAC MiG the new Soviet aircraft carrier Tbilisi from guided weapons, already integrated
The airframe structure of both the November 1, 1989. on the Indian MiG-29K/KUBs, which,
newly built MiG-35s and the MiG-29M/ The shipborne The second prototype, serial ‘312’, as a rule, boast higher performance
than that of their export
‘Fulcrum’ can
M2s is very similar to that of the MiG-29K/ carry extensive was rolled out in 1990, equipped with a counterparts. The list of air-to-air
KUB shipborne ghter. external fuel full-standard mission avionics t. It was weapons already integrated on
and a PAZ-MK mainly used in the type’s mission avionics the Russian MiG-29K/KUB includes
Shipborne derivative for refueling pod, and weapons trials. the new RVV-SD BVR missile with
here between
India and Russia the engine The dissolution of the Soviet Union in a maximum range in head-on
engagements at high altitude of
The origins of the dedicated shipborne nacelles, late 1991 — and the resulting cuts in the 60nm (110km), plus the RVV-MD for
enabling use in
derivative of the ‘Fulcrum’, built on the the tanker role. defense budget — meant the MiG-29K WVR engagements.
basis of the MiG-29M, date back to RAC MiG program was e ectively frozen in favor

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80-87 MiG-29 pt2 C.indd 85
80-87 MiG-29 pt2 C.indd 85 21/11/2019 20:53