From time to time, foreign countries that are armed with weapons and equipment of Soviet or Russian production, try to modernize existing samples on their own or with the help of new foreign partners. Each such case is of interest to Russian specialists and technology enthusiasts, and news on this topic coming from Ukraine draws special attention. Not so long ago it became known about the plans of the Ukrainian industry to create a project for the modernization of aircraft called the MiG-29MU2.
According to the latest news, in the foreseeable future, the Ukrainian aviation industry plans to develop a new project to modernize existing MiG-29 aircraft. Long-obsolete fighters do not meet the requirements, and in addition, they have managed to develop a significant part of their service life. To preserve the fleet of Air Force fighters, it is necessary to repair the existing vehicles with some upgrades that can increase the combat capability of the units.
It should be noted that the announced project with the working designation MiG-29MU2 is not the first attempt by Ukraine to improve Soviet-built aircraft technology. At the beginning of the last decade, several Ukrainian enterprises headed by the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant began to develop the MiG-29MU1 project. The aim of the project was to replace part of the onboard radio-electronic equipment, aimed at improving the main tactical and technical characteristics.
For obvious reasons, the work was delayed, and the modernization of the first aircraft under the MU1 project was launched only in 2009. Despite numerous statements by officials and all the efforts of the military department, to date, the Ukrainian Air Force units have less than a dozen MiG-29MU1 aircraft. The vast majority of fighters are left without new equipment.
According to press reports
At the end of January, the British magazine AirForce Monthly published an article on the current projects of the Ukrainian aviation industry. Among other things, the topic of creating new versions of existing equipment was touched upon. According to a foreign publication, now the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant is developing a new version of the existing MiG-29. It is argued that the modernization of the aircraft will be carried out taking into account the experience of using combat aviation in the so-called. anti-terrorist operation.
According to AirForce Monthly, design work is underway. The first demonstrator and the first prototype of the MiG-29MU2 will be built and presented to the public this year. The tests will take place in a short time: it is assumed that thanks to this, the new machines will be able to get to the front as soon as possible.
The British edition indicates that the new project is based on the existing MiG-29MU1, but provides for eight major improvements affecting various on-board equipment. Thus, the modernization of the 20PM weapons control system, a new update of the R-682 radio station and the Kurs-93M integrated navigation and landing equipment have been proposed. The RSBN A-323 navigation system will be replaced. To exchange data, onboard equipment will need to use the MIL-2000 bus.
A few days later, new information appeared about an interesting Ukrainian project. The Delovaya Stolitsa edition on February 8 published the article “I dropped it or forgot it. As in Lviv, MiGs were reinforced with homing bombs”, dedicated to both the activities of the Lviv enterprise and the new project. This time, some new details of the project were mentioned and certain estimates were made.
Delovaya Stolitsa recalls that during the fighting in the summer of 2014, the Ukrainian Air Force had to send even MiG-29 fighters to attack. These aircraft, far from being fully suitable for solving such problems, naturally suffered losses. In this regard, the Lviv Aircraft Repair Plant began developing a new modification of the fighter, designed specifically for assault work. A new project with the designation MiG-29MU2 was developed on the basis of the previous "MU1", but taking into account the new role of technology.
Describing the technical details of the new project, "Business Capital" mentions "significant improvements", as a result of which the assault modification of the fighter will be able to carry not only unguided weapons of destruction, but also guided bombs or missiles. Information about the modernization or replacement of the 20PM, Kurs-93M, etc. systems is again presented.
The MiG-29MU2 will be able to receive means of electronic intelligence and electronic warfare. To solve such problems, it is proposed to equip the aircraft with the Omut aircraft protection system developed by the Radionix company (Kiev). This complex includes reconnaissance and countermeasures. It is designed to suppress radar detection and guidance systems. Allegedly, "Omut" can be used against anti-aircraft systems, and against air-to-air missiles equipped with radar homing heads.
The Ukrainian edition also announced some information about a possible MiG-29MU2 armament complex, adapted to solve the tasks of an attack. According to him, the military can introduce a promising corrected aerial bomb into the aircraft's ammunition, the project of which has been created for a long time at the Luch State Design Bureau. It is known that such a product is equipped with a TV homing head with the ability to independently reach the target using the "drop-forget" system. Also bureau "Luch" offers projects of additional equipment for turning unguided bombs into corrected bombs.
The question of air-to-surface guided missiles remains open. Of all the samples of this class, only the X-29 remains in service with the Ukrainian Air Force. However, the firing range of such a missile does not exceed 10 km, which exposes its carrier to increased risks. The aircraft will not be able to launch a missile without entering the coverage area of short-range anti-aircraft systems. In the context of the conflict in Donbas, this can be a serious problem.
Delovaya Stolitsa mentions the possibility of purchasing foreign aircraft weapons with sufficient characteristics. However, the author of the article "Dropped and Forgot" immediately points out that this will require an extremely serious modernization of aircraft. In addition, he expresses doubts about the very possibility of selling the necessary weapons by third countries.
According to the estimates of the Ukrainian press, the aircraft repair company can return to service up to 45-50 MiG-29 fighters. In the distant past, the Air Force had a large number of such aircraft, but over time, their number has decreased noticeably. Some of the fighters that were distinguished by the smallest age and resource consumption were sold to foreign armies. 9 combat-ready vehicles "Russia seized in the Crimea." At the same time, it is indicated that since the beginning of the so-called. anti-terrorist operation returned to service up to a dozen MiG-29s.
The Russian aircraft building corporation MiG has already reacted to the news about the Ukrainian project. The press service of the corporation says that the speed of reaction of the Ukrainian industry to the new requirements for aircraft can only be compared with its creativity. RSK MiG recalled that the leading creators of aviation technology are working to create the most versatile technology, while Ukraine has chosen a different path. She is going to "make a mediocre attack aircraft out of a good fighter."
Also RSK "MiG" touched upon the topic of repair and extension of the service life of equipment. Foreign factories may have outdated documentation at their disposal, including those obtained illegally. It does not take into account the experience of operating aircraft over the past decades, and therefore its application leads to certain risks. In addition, the MiG company recalled cases when foreign aircraft were modernized at Ukrainian enterprises, and then their owners had to turn to the Russian industry for help.
Fighter-attack aircraft
It should be recalled that in the basic version and in early modifications, the MiG-29 fighter is capable of carrying weapons to destroy ground or surface targets. However, previously it was mainly about unguided rockets and free-fall bombs. The share of guided weapons, regardless of the specific modification, was low. In addition, the combat load of the aircraft left much to be desired. The MiG-29 belongs to the class of light fighters, and therefore can lift no more than 2.2 tons of weapons into the air.
Over time, in the course of the further development of the existing project, the MiG-29 improved its characteristics and received new capabilities. Thus, the newest project at the moment, the MiG-35, provides for an increase in the maximum combat load to 6 tons, and also allows the aircraft to effectively fight for air superiority and destroy ground targets. In the latter case, it is possible to use weapons from outside the enemy's air defense zone of responsibility.
Apparently, the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant wants to create something similar. An aircraft similar to the newest Russian MiG-35 is of interest to many armies, but Ukraine, for obvious reasons, will not be able to purchase such equipment. In this situation, she can only make attempts to create her own project with similar features.
The available materials indicate that the alleged MiG-29MU2 aircraft will be an attack aircraft, and the essence of the project is to expand the capabilities of the existing equipment in the work on ground targets. Nevertheless, with all the desire, from the MiG-29 it is unlikely that it will be possible to create an attack aircraft in full accordance with the definition of this term. At the same time, a promising aircraft capable of attacking both air and ground targets can be classified as fighter-bombers.
By transferring an aircraft from the category of attack aircraft to fighter-bombers, the problem of strengthening protection can be removed. A characteristic feature of modern attack aircraft is not only an air-to-surface weapon system, but also enhanced protection against ground fire. It is not hard to guess what will happen if the existing MiG-29 is equipped with the required booking. The aircraft will turn out to be extremely heavy and will lose all its fighter potential. And without additional protection, he will not be able to carry out an attack from small distances.
The need for protection can be reduced by equipping the fighter-bomber with guided weapons with sufficient launch range. However, as Delovaya Stolitsa writes, the range of the existing Kh-29 missiles no longer corresponds to the current threats, and the Luch State Design Bureau is still not ready for the guided weapons project. When Ukraine will be able to create the desired sample is unknown. Moreover, there is every reason to believe that its own air-to-surface missile for the MiG-29MU2 will never appear at all.
Another problem of a promising project is related to the class of the aircraft. The light fighter does not have a large payload, which seriously reduces its combat capabilities. Even a significant increase in combat load may not lead to the desired results. For long-term combat operations in a specified area or to destroy a well-protected object, an attack aircraft or fighter-bomber must carry a large number of weapons, which is directly related to its carrying capacity.
Industry Potential and Financial Capabilities
According to Ukrainian data, the air force currently does not have even a dozen MiG-29MU1 fighters at its disposal. Repair and modernization of aircraft for this project started at the end of the last decade, but still have not led to acceptable results. The reasons for this are simple. The economic potential of the Ukrainian military department was not outstanding even in the best times, and in recent years - after the well-known events - the situation has not improved. Limited financial opportunities simply did not allow for a massive modernization of equipment.
Economic problems and the lack of a large number of orders in the past managed to hit the potential of the defense industry. Fulfilling army orders can be problematic and time-consuming. Industrial problems combined with a lack of funding should lead to understandable results, and so far there is no reason to believe that the MiG-29MU2 project can become an exception to this rule.
However, while the Ukrainian aircraft repair industry looks to the future with optimism. According to the latest data, a prototype of the modernized MiG-29MU2 in the attack aircraft version should appear this year. The tests of the machine are supposed to be accelerated as much as possible, which is expected to speed up the transfer of equipment to the troops.
There is no reason to be optimistic
At the moment, the hypothetical MiG-29MU2 project looks at least ambiguous. The announced technical details of the project look interesting, but you can find many weaknesses in them. The proposed concept itself has a certain meaning, but its prospects directly depend on the possibility of implementing all plans. Even if the designed aircraft meets all the requirements, a single prototype will not be able to influence the rearmament of the army.
In recent years, the Lviv Aircraft Repair Plant has received several orders for the repair and modernization of MiG-29 aircraft of existing modifications, but the lack of funding has led to understandable results. According to the Ukrainian press, the technical readiness of 15 aircraft was restored, and about half the number of aircraft underwent modernization according to the MU1 project. What the success of the new project will be in such conditions is anyone's guess. Serial modernization can begin no earlier than next year, and annually the army will receive no more than a couple of planes.
Considering the MiG-29MU2 project, one should also take into account criticism from the RAC “MiG”. The Russian corporation rightly noted the dubious prospects of the Ukrainian project, providing for the conversion of a good fighter into a dubious attack aircraft. In addition, she recalled the impossibility of carrying out a full and high-quality repair of aviation equipment at foreign enterprises. The specialists of the company that developed the initial project and are engaged in its development really know and understand what the Ukrainian proposal can lead to.
The modernization project being developed, judging by the published information, is of interest, first of all, as an example of foreign revision of Soviet / Russian technology. Its results can also be interesting from a technical point of view, but so far there is no certainty that they will be seen within the specified time frame. However, even with all the existing doubts, the MiG-29MU2 project should not be completely rejected. Perhaps, in the foreseeable future, it will lead to some results. The real prospects of the project from the point of view of practical benefits can only be found in the future, when the specified deadlines for its implementation come up. Tests of the new prototype promise to begin this year, and to draw conclusions, it remains to wait only a few months.
