Mikoyan MiG-29G - NATO’s very own Fulcrum

Suggestions - Devs Implemented
1

This is a repost of a submission on the old forums. While it was past to the developers, I thought it would be good to post it here for posterity.

Would you like to see this in-game?
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters

MiG-29G 1

The MiG-29G has a unique place in history as being one of the few Soviet jets to be operated by a member of NATO during the Cold War. After the reunification of Germany, the Bundeswehr came into possession of all of the previous NVA equipment and personnel, which included several examples of one of the Soviet Union’s most advanced jet fighters, the MiG-29A and their pilots. While most previous NVA equipment was sold, given away, or scrapped, the Bundeswehr decided to keep the MiG-29s where they were integrated into Luftwaffe fighter wing 73. A program was later initiated to bring these MiGs up to NATO standards which would result in the Luftwaffe redesignating them MiG-29Gs, the G standing for ‘German’. The trainer variants of the MiG-29 were likewise redesignated GT for ‘German Trainer’.

The first stage of the upgrade program (ICAO I) included the following changes:

  • Integration of a new IFF/SIF transponder;
  • Replacing the old UHF-radio with fixed frequencies with a new VHFI UHF-radio with frequencies manually selectable;
  • Integration of an XT-2000 emergency radio;
  • Installation of TACAN navigational equipment;
  • Addition of a mach mode indicator;
  • Anti-collision lights;
  • Switching the indication of all instruments to feet (altimeter), miles (radar) and knots (speed indicator);
  • Exchange of all Cyrillic lettering for English placards;
  • Recolouring of all aircraft in air superiority grey;
  • Installation of a GPS

Later, the second stage of the upgrade program was initiated (ICAO II) and included:

  • Modifications to the fuel line to allow the fitting of two under-wing pylons with two 1150 I wing tanks (limited to 4 Gs while manoeuvring).
  • Unreliable Russian navigation system connected to the already installed GPS, which transmits position corrections directly to the aircraft’s INS (inertial navigation system).

Aside from those modifications, the MiG-29G was identical to the A in all respects, including armament, radar, and flight characteristics.

As you will have no doubt noticed, there really anything that would give the G a practical combat advantage over the Soviet A models, the Germans opting to not make any major upgrades such as radar due to cost. The main external difference would be the addition of the anti-collision lights, one of which can be seen clearly on the spine of the aircraft, and of course the new paint scheme. Within the cockpit the differences are a bit more significant; all the labels are in English while there is also a GPS display and TACAN equipment on the right side of the cockpit.

As an aside, I think there might also be some confusion as to whether or not the G was an actual military designation for the Luftwaffe MiGs, and I can say confidently that it was. The MiG-29 flight manual occasionally refers to them as ‘MiG-29G’, particularly as a means to distinguish them from the GTs. Additionally, Bundeswehr archival documents also often refer to them as MiG-29G. This was not, however, a Soviet designation, but rather one used exclusively by the Bundeswehr.

MiG-29G 2
MiG-29G 21024×672 229 KB

Specifications

Dimensions (m): length: 17.32, wing span: 11.36, height: 4.73
Take-off weight (kg): standard: 14900, maximum: 18000
Maximum flight speed (km/h): near ground: 1500, at high altitude: 2400
Maximum M-number: 2.25
Service ceiling (m): 18000
Maximum G-load: 9
Engines: RD-33 ser.2(3)
Take-off thrust, kgf: 2x8300
Weapons: 6xR-60MK, 6xR-73A, 2xR-27R1 (+4xR-60MK or R-73A), 30 mm Gsh-301

Sources

Luftwaffenmaterialkommando, Flight Manual MiG-29 (2001)

Andreas Klein, Luftwaffe Fulcrums: The MiG 29 - From the East German People’s Army to the Luftwaffe (2002)

Moscow Defence Brief Moscow Defense Brief

Stefan Petersen, MiG-29s Leave Luftwaffe FLUG REVUE April 2004: MiG-29 leaves Luftwaffe service

Russian Aircraft Corporation “MiG” MiG-29/MiG-29UB/MiG-29SE

4 Likes
2

Disclaimer: this suggestion was pending before the trailer or dev server dropped. I just didn’t want to deny their suggestion based on something that wasn’t known at the time in combination with it being made on the previous forum as well.

13 Likes
3

i dont want old junk migs good for TARGET PRACTICE… Me wants Eagle or Hornet something that was actually good not good in old soviet granpa myth’s

4

you are aware we are talking about an vehicle for germany here, germany never operated eagles or hornets, go complain about those in an US suggestion thread jesus

7 Likes
5

Germany dont want migs either or they woulda bought more…

6

either way that aircraft is part of our history and it is our decision if we want it or not, not of an US fanboy that doesnt want anything to do with it and only cries for more aircraft while the US is already getting the most air additions of all nations

2 Likes
7

it should get Euro fighter that was and still is good…

8

germany has a real small number of aircraft left, do you know how long we would need to wait until they actualy add the Eurofighter? And remember Smin denied the Eurofighter being added recently for quite a while in the future. This Mig with access to R73 and the R27E missles is the last time germany will be relevant for 1 patch, our next addition with a long stop until the Eurofighter is the F4F ICE with AMRAMMs and the F4F airframe sucks against all the gen 4 fighters. Maybe germany will get and f16 /f18 from another nation but that is another matter.

But if you dont know the backround of a vehicle or why it is needed please dont just write it off immediatly just because you dont like it. You can do that with Russia itself that has airframes in access that can be added or with the US, but that is not the case for any other nation besides those 2 that need to take any air tree addition they can

2 Likes
9

Gaijin implemented MiG-29G for germany tech tree in rank VIII soon

10

Except mig 29g never used r27et

11

i am completly aware of that, and what now? besides that i named E in general that includes the ER, while it is debatable if it should have that one as well, it doesnt change anything i wrote

2 Likes
12

Interviews with former MiG-29G pilots confirms that the ER was present in the G’s weapon selector, it just wasn’t purchased by Germany.

4 Likes
13

Talking about et it was never operated So it shouldnt be there

14

Same can be said for a lot of munitions though. Italy never operated Skyflash SuperTEMP on the ADVs. France never operated HOT-3 or ATAS on their Tigers. USA never operated Sparrows on the F-16 Blk50s. Japan never even operated the F-16. Yak-141 couldn’t even use any weapons, it never had a radar. But some things are done for balance.

4 Likes
15

still wouldnt change any of my statement, tell me where in this thread was the ET mentioned? It was never mentioned here, if you have a problem with the ET, take it to the Dev server forum and complain there about it

2 Likes
16

The MiG-29G would never be in game… They would never do that… lol.

In all seriousness, cool that its in game, and funny that you made this not long before it was put in game, but I am a bit skeptical of its portrayal in game (make sense for balance, not so much for IRL accuracy)

2 Likes
17

I actually made this suggestion a couple years ago, just reposted from the old forums (with a couple of tweaks). That said I had no idea it was coming before I reposted, so good timing indeed.

2 Likes
18

This is going to be amazing. Cannot wait!

19

“Technically possible” is the standard and has been for a long time.

The Yak 141 was never operated either and the version in game never existed ever. Additionally, GJ gave it IRST and CM, totally guessing where they would be placed. It’s really a fictional abomination of an actual demonstration aircraft & collaboration with the west that should not exist but does in WT.

There are so many missiles in game that were never in service with the nations that carry them. The Mig29Gs loadouts are 100% appropriate in WT.

2 Likes
20

There is no evidence for this, I looked it up and the only thing I found in interviews of former pilots was that the R-27ER was only a proposal from MiG-MAPO.

Spoiler

I should stress that I’m talking about our Luftwaffe MiG-29s, which are early aircraft. They also removed the Laszlo data link and the SRO IFF before the aircraft were handed over to us, so in some respects we’re less capable than other contemporary MiG-29s. From what we hear the latest variants are almost a different aircraft. I’d like to see our aircraft get some of the updates being offered by MiG-MAPO. The more powerful engines, better radar, a new navigation system, a data link and an inflight refuelling probe. If we got the new ‘Alamo-C’ that would also be an improvement - even a two nautical mile boost in range is still ten more seconds to shoot someone else! We won’t get many of those improvements, though we are getting a new IFF manually selectable radio channels, and improvements to the navigation system, including the integration of GPS. Most of our aircraft will be able to carry two underwing fuel tanks, which will also help.

There’s another reason why this interview is hard to believe.

MiG-29G had to operate in NATO operating airspace after unification, and this required fitting the Mark IX IFF, which works with the AWACS’ L-band radar, and this required replacing the mission computer with a NATO standard.

For full BVR combat, both the IFF transponder and interrogator had to be fitted, but in doing so, the NATO mission computer’s interworking with the N019 radar became an issue.

As this was not possible, MiG-29G was not fitted with the interrogator for BVR mode, only the transponder.

Because of this, the MiG-29G did not see much use with the R-27 (The only photo of the R-27 firing was taken in June 2003, before the MiG-29Gs were handed over to Poland.) in the Luftwaffe, the MIG-29G was tasked with dogfighting, while the F-4F ICE was tasked with BVR.