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Origins
While the Soviet military could match or surpass that of NATO on land and in the skies, the Soviet Navy lagged far behind that of Western nations, in particular the United States. Soviet naval doctrine in the early Cold War sought to fight an asymmetrical battle against the USN, developing advanced anti-ship missiles and submarines. However, the Soviets recognized that if they wanted to truly project naval power on equal footing with the United States, they would need to develop a powerful carrier fleet.
With no previous experience in designing or operating carriers and with how enormously complex and expensive such vessels were, the plan was to gradually build up to a full carrier fleet in four phases over several decades.
First would be the Moskva-class helicopter carriers first entering service in 1967. Small and affordable but providing great experience with carrier operations in addition to the carriers’ primary role of ASW.
Second came the Kiev-class carriers from 1975, this time equipped with actual aircraft in the form of the Yak-36/38.
Following on the Kiev-class would be the Project 1143.5 class, the first true Soviet fleet carriers.
Finally, the 90s would see the Project 1153 class- massive and modern nuclear-powered supercarriers to rival anything the Americans could create.
The Project 1143.5 carriers were originally intended to be equipped with navalized MiG-23s and Su-25s, the MiG-23K and Su-25K (K for Korabelnyy “shipborne”, not to be confused with the later Su-25K, K for Kommehrcherskiy, “commerical”). However, as a new generation of aircraft became available plans changed, with the carriers instead of carry navalized versions of the MiG-29 and Su-27, the MiG-29K and Su-27K respectively, in a high-low mixture similar to the F-18 and F-14 on American carriers. The MiG-29K was to provide general air defense while the Su-27K would perform interception as well as antishipping duties. One or both of these aircraft could potentially be replaced by the Yak-41 then in development to replace the Yak-38M. However, modifying the existing land-based aircraft was seen as a more reliable bet.

An early concept of the Project 1153 carrier with MiG-23Ks and Su-25Ks
The MiG-29K
Development of the MiG-29K began in 1984. It was developed alongside the MiG-29M (9.15), with the two sharing a similar design with the goal of producing a unified aircraft family. Like the MiG-29M, the MiG-29K would be constructed of Al-Li alloys and feature larger aerodynamic surfaces, more powerful engines, advanced avionics, increased fuel capacity, additional armament hardpoints, and an improved countermeasures/ECM suite. However, the MiG-29K also differed from the MiG-29M in several ways. Most notably, the wingtips could fold inwards to reduce space on the carrier. The aircraft’s structure was reinforced to handle the additional loads of carrier take-off and landing, and the drag chute was replaced by an arrestor hook. The MiG-29K’s engines were further upgraded to a maximum thrust of 9,400kgf (92kN) to allow takeoff from the carrier.
In 1982, a MiG-29 9.12 was modified with an arrestor cable and designated the MiG-29KVP, Korotkii Vzlet i Posadka “Short Takeoff and Landing”. This aircraft served as the testbed for ramp launches and arrested landings for a MiG-29, operating from the NITKA complex in Crimea.
The first true prototype of the MiG-29K took flight in June 1988. Designated Blue 311, this prototype lacked a weapons system and was used in testing at NITKA through '88 and '89. On 1st November 1989, 311 would make its first landing aboard the Tsibli, as the Admiral Kusnetsov was named at the time, the Su-27K and Su-25UTG prototypes completing their first carrier landings that same day. The Su-27K would touch down first, marking the Soviet’s first landing of a conventional aircraft upon a carrier. Not to be outdone, the MiG-29K would perform the first takeoff of a conventional aircraft from a Soviet carrier the next evening. Flight testing of this prototype would continue into the 90s with 320 test flights recorded with only one notable issue, a crash landing due to pilot error on the 313th flight (the pilot, like a true War Thunder player, accidentally retracted the landing gear).
The second prototype, Blue 312, would join 311 in September 1990. 312 was fitted with a complete weapons and avionics fit and represented the final production configuration of the MiG-29K. Both prototypes would participate in state acceptance trials beginning in August 1991.
311 snags the wire
312 prepares for takeoff, with the Su-25UTG and Su-27K behind
Cancellation
By the beginning of state acceptance trials in 1991, the Soviet Union was falling apart. And like so many other aircraft of the era, the end of the Cold War killed the MiG-29K.
For starters, the fleet it was intended to serve on was cancelled. Only one of the planned two Project 1143.5-class carriers, the Admiral Kuznetsov, was completed. The other, the Varyag, would eventually be sold to China. And the planned three Project 1143.7-class nuclear carriers would never materialize.
Additionally, the advanced systems of the MiG-29K itself gave it high development, procrurement, and operation costs. By comparison, the Su-27K was much less advanced but that meant that it was faster and cheaper to produce. In early 1992, both the MiG-29K and its land-based counterpart the MiG-29M would have their state acceptance trials cancelled. The Su-27K would be the Admiral Kuznetsov’s sole fixed-wing aircraft, entering service in 1994 as the Su-33.
Mikoyan would continue to test and advertise the MiG-29K and M, hoping for interest from either the Russians or an export customer. The MiG-29K would be displayed at the 1992 MosAeroShow as well as the 1993 and 1993 MAKS. However, no such customers materialized. Well, almost none.
312 at MAKS 95
312 with a wider armament load at MAKS 1993
Revival
In 2004 the Indian Navy purchased the Kiev-class carrier Admiral Gorshkov (formally Baku). The Admiral Gorshkov was to be upgraded and refitted into a STOBAR carrier similar to the Admiral Kuznetsov and be rechristened the INS Vikramaditya, serving as the Indian Navy’s flagship. India’s existing carrier INS Viraat was outfitted with obsolete Sea Harriers, so the Vikramaditya would need to be purchased alongside new carrier aircraft. The Su-33 and MiG-29K were naturally the top candidates, having been designed for the the launch and landing equipment used on the Admiral Kuznetsov and then reused on the Vikramaditya. Because the Vikramaditya was considerably smaller than the Admiral Kuznetsov, it would be able to carry on a limited complement of the large Su-33s. So, the Indian Navy petitioned Mikoyan for 12 updated and upgraded MiG-29Ks and 4 twin-seat MiG-29KUB trainers. These would be the project 9.41 and 9.47 respectively, and feature improved avionics and armaments. I won’t go more into detail because there’s already a suggestion for the Indian MiG-29K. India currently operates 34 MiG-29Ks and 6 MiG-29KUBs.
Even when it first entered service, the Su-33 was outdated. It utilized cold-war era avionics and armaments and could not go toe-to-toe with aircraft such as the F-18C. But it was all the Russian Navy could afford. Now with India shouldering the majority of the development costs for the MiG-29K and with the Su-33 production’s ceased the MiG-29K became a very attractive replacement to the aircraft that once replaced it. Development of modified versions of the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB with all Russian-produced avionics and systems (the K and KUB including some Indian and Ukrainian systems) began in 2009. These were the MiG-29KR (9.41r) and MiG-29KUBR (9.47r) though sometimes they are simply referred to as the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB due to the lack of external distinguishing features. 20 KRs and 4 KUBRs were ordered in 2012 and delivered by 2016, where they currently serve as the primary air wing of the Admiral Kuznetsov and saw combat in Syria. However, with the Admiral Kuznetsov in a seemingly endless cycle of repairs and refits it’s unclear how significant the MiG-29KR’s role will be in the future.
312 was reused as the testbed for the MiG-29K (9.41)
941, the prototype of the MiG-29K (9.41)