MiG-21-93

[Giovanex05]

[Would you like to see this in-game?]

• Yes
• No

What type of aircraft should it be?

• tech tree aircraft
• event aircraft
• premium aircraft
• Don’t want it in game

What br do you recommend for it?

• 12.0
• 11.7
• 11.3
• Don’t want it ingame

Description: the MiG-21-93 is an upgrade program of the MiG-21bis made in cooperation by RSK MiG, Sokol aircraft plant and Phazatron-NIIR. The main features of the upgrade program were:

A new cockpit with a new canopy, modern HUD, an MFD display and HOTAS controls.

A new Kopyo (Spear) radar, which was developed from the Zhuk (the yak141 radar) and is pretty much comparable with it in performance (it features both high and low PRF modes (in game correspond to HDN and normal mode) and TWS, with the capability of tracking 8 targets at the same time and firing at 2 (compared to the 12 and 4 respectively for the Zhuk).

New weapons, mainly R-27R1 (2 inner pylons only), R-73 and R-77 missiles.

Helmet mounted sight

The prototype of the upgraded aircraft flew in 1995, and while no country bought the MiG-21-93, the MiG-21UPG “bison” upgrade program for the Indian MiG21s was heavily based on it, with all the main features of the MiG-21-93 (new radar, new cockpit (with 2 mfd in the bison case), new missiles etc. are all there on the bison).

Pictures:

Specifications:
Length: 14,77m
width: 7,16 m
Height: 4.1m
Empty weight: 6,132 kg
Fuel capacity: 2400kg
Max take off weight: 10000kg
Engine: Tumansky R-25-300 with 7335kgf of thrust.

Countermeasures: BVP-60-26 - Vympel conformal flare dispensers above wing roots (60x 26mm flares, 120 rounds total)

Air to Air armament:
Gsh23L 23mm cannon.
4 underwing pylons that can carry:
6 x R60m (1 per inner pylon and 2 per outer pylons)
4 x R73
2 x R27R1 (inner pylons only)
4 x R77

Other armament:
2 x anti-radar ASM Kh-25KM or 1 x Kh-31
1 x anti-ship Kh-31A or Kh-35
2 guided bombs KAB-500KR
free fall bombs 100-500 kg.
UR S-5, S-8, S-13 and S-24 pods with cannons, camera, reconnaissance and ECM pods.

In war thunder: I believe the aircraft, with a load out of 2R27r, 4 R60m and maybe R73s (R-77s are too modern for the game right now), would be a very nice addition to the game and would fit very well with the current planes at top tier, because there are already aircraft such as the MiG-29 that have both much better performance and better missiles (R27ER), but at the same time would still be very competitive thanks to the competitive radar, good missiles (R27Rs are still good missiles) and still decent performance. Imho the br should be 11.7, because the Kopyo radar and R27r radar missiles are too good to face anything below 10.7, but is still a weaker aircraft than the proper 4th gen fighters such as the MiG-29, F-16, F-14 and Yak141.

Sources:

List of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 variants

MiG-21-93 Multipurpose Fighter - RedStar.
Kopyo Radar | MiG Alley Military Aviation News
MiG-21-93: The Next Generation of Fishbeds - USSR - War Thunder - Official Forum

[Aurelian_ROW]

If it got R-77 it should be 12.7+

If it was only R-73 and R-27 12.0 should be fine.

Would be a really neat addition though.

[Giovanex05]

I agree, I had made the post before R-73s came to fighters. Yeah now the best thing would be 12.0 with 2 r73 and 2 r27s.
Imho this, the MiG23-98, the F-20 Tigershark and other similar planes would all have been perfect addition for the game, but I think Gaijin now wants to really rush to 4+ gen fighters.

[Its_me_Erika]

Would be absolutely amazing to see this beast in game

[hjnbnb]

11.7, with four R-73/4x R-60 + 2x R-27R1
Just remember it is still a MiG-21 and loses speed in dogfights quickly

[oom1992]

+1 If gaijin denied ARH BVRAAM R-77 and not consider add on Yak-141

I guess MiG-21-93 might be early fighter aircraft with active radar homing BVRAAM, and could add to tech tree before MiG-29S (9-13S) & MiG-29SMT (9-19)

[spacenavy90]

This was originally my suggestion post on the old forum:

MiG-21-93: The Next Generation of Fishbeds

+1

[Giovanex05]

Didn’t know it was already suggested there… didn’t see it in the already suggested aircraft lift so decided to do it :D

Also borrowed the countermeasure count from your post as that was missing in mine

[Miraz05]

Good to see you back on the forum.👍

[spacenavy90]

Also borrowed the countermeasure count from your post as that was missing in mine

Would you mind throwing the old-forum thread in the original post sources please?

[Giovanex05]

Not at all (just edited and included it)… sorry for not putting it in in the first place, I probably forgot to do so when I included the info

[TyTheGuy27]

This might be a bit controversial but I’d love to see the -93 in the Soviet tree and the Bison in the British tree, both as premium or event vehicles. I don’t think there’s really room in the Soviet tree for it to be a tech tree vehicle, and while Britain could really use a top tier light fighter it’d be unfair for them to get it as Tech Tree but the Soviets as a premium, unless it’s added as part of a complete Indian subtree.

[Giovanex05]

imho there is plenty of space for the MiG-21-93 in a folder after the MiG-29… the whole point of it was to be an even cheaper aircraft than the MiG-29 to export

[TyTheGuy27]

Really hope we see those deep upgrades of cold war vehicles with modern weapons soon. Unfortunately, we’re more likely to get 4th gens that are either artificially downgraded for balance or just keep powercreeping top tier.

[TyTheGuy27]

Yeah, I personally don’t like foldering vehicles of completely unrelated families and unlike design, especially when one of both of those vehicle families are widespread in the game.

I’d personally place the -93 under the 21bis, but then no one would grind it.

Alternatively, it could potentially bridge the gap between the Su-17M4 and Su-27, if that is where the Su-27 ends up.

[_Fantom2451]

@Giovanex05

A new Kopyo (Spear)

21-93 had Osa PESA radar

[ZVO_12_INCH]

The Bars-29 radar (OSA) was first introduced in 1998 in Farnborough…It was offered as an alternative version of the KOPYO radar for the modernization of the MiG-21 as well as for the MiG-29SMT…

Spoiler

ВВС России - МиГ-21-93 (airforce.ru)

[_Fantom2451]

@ZVO_12_INCH

Bars-29 radar (OSA)

Bars-29 and Osa are two different radars (check pm)

[vf62m]

i think it would be a good 11.7-11.3. good radar and everything but still a mig 21 platform

[bob9f]

this is an outdated aircraft, it will be of little use