Brent Eastwood, a columnist for 1945 and a former US Army officer, listed the shortcomings of the upgraded MiG-29 fighters.
Eastwood notes that the MiG-29, introduced in 1982, has become incredibly popular in the armed forces around the world – at various times, the military of 39 countries flew it. The aircraft was favorably distinguished by ease of control and maneuverability, but problems with maintenance and a shorter flight range did not allow it to dominate the airspace. In addition, the MiG had an outdated dashboard with no indication on the windshield, “inadequate radar” and had no air refueling function.
It is noted that the aircraft has gone through several updates and upgrades. After the Cold War, an export version of the MiG-29M was introduced, but it was still slower than competitors and had a lower ceiling.
Eastwood also pointed to the vulnerability of Russian fighters in aerial combat. In 1989, Israeli aircraft destroyed two MiG-29s of the Syrian Air Force, two more were shot down in 2001. During Operation Desert Storm, American F-15s shot down five Iraqi MiG-29 fighters. The aircraft also proved vulnerable to surface-to-air missiles. In the conflict in the Balkans, NATO effectively used anti-aircraft missile systems against the MiG-29, and in 2020, two MiG-29s crashed in Libya.
MiG-29 crashed in the Astrakhan region, the pilot was killed
The expert suggests that Russia is no longer going to modernize the MiG-29, since it is already “outdated”. After the addition of new functions, the plane becomes too expensive, he said, and it is more profitable for the Russians to use the Su-27 and newer Su-35 fighters.
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