MiG-29(according to NATO codification: Fulcrum - fulcrum) - Soviet, now Russian multirole fighter, belonging to the 4th generation, was created at the MiG Design Bureau. He made his first flight on October 6, 1977. In 1971, the MiG Design Bureau was presented lung project fighter, which received the designation MiG-29D. The main task assigned to the new aircraft was to provide air defense strategically important objects, small territories, as well as groups of troops. In the same 1971, the MiG Design Bureau began the detailed development of a new fighter project.
When creating a new fighter, the designers had to face a number of difficulties, in particular, at that time there was a ban on access to world "know-how", which seriously limited the capabilities of the fighter's on-board electronics, and also led to an increase in total weight aircraft. At the same time, the controllability of the fighter was limited by the use of the capabilities of the classical mechanical control system.
Some of the limitations of the MiG-29, its creators were able to compensate for the very high aerodynamic characteristics and weapons. Thus, R-73 air-to-air guided missiles to this day have a number of unsurpassed specifications, in particular high maneuverability and high flight range.
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In addition, the MiG-29 fighter was equipped with the H-019 Topaz locator, which allowed the machine to detect air targets both in the air in free space and against the background of the ground. In addition, the fighter received K-36 ejection seats, which provided the pilot with the opportunity to leave the car at speeds from 75 to 1500 km / h (there are also cases of rescuing pilots at high speeds that exceeded 2000 km / h). Flight tests of the machine, which took place on October 6, 1977, confirmed the very successful design of the front-line fighter.
In the MiG-29, the designers managed to cut the "Gordian knot" very high demands to the performance characteristics of a fighter with limited economic and technological possibilities. It differs from foreign (even modern) analogues of the MiG-29 by its outstanding maneuverability in a unique range of altitudes and speeds, as well as effective system weapons for participation in highly maneuverable air combat, ease of maintenance and power of the frame structure.
Fighter MiG-29
MiG-29 is one of the best fighters in its class. “The dream of any pilot” - this is exactly how the pilot of the German Luftwaffe spoke about this 4th generation fighter. In 1988, the GDR received 24 MiG-29 fighters from the USSR, which, after the reunification of Germany, remained in service with the 73 squadron. These aircraft underwent modernization and were withdrawn from service only in 2003-2004. At the same time, the cars were not decommissioned, they were transferred to Poland. Canadian pilot Bob Wade also spoke well of the fighter, with a total flight time of more than 6,500 hours. He became one of the first Western pilots who managed to pilot this aircraft.
After flying the MiG-29, the Canadian said: “ I am amazed at the handling and maneuverability of this fighter, especially its ability to change its attitude in flight. The MiG-29 is a fighter with amazing agility. I am not allowed to compare this car with any specific Western fighters, but I can say for sure that the characteristics of the Russian fighter in the air display up to the low speed section of the flight area are in no way inferior, and possibly even superior to that what can be done on western fighters».
The MiG-29 fighter was created as an aircraft to gain air superiority in a given combat area or on a small front. Its main task was the fight against enemy aircraft, air cover for rear facilities and concentrations of troops, counteracting enemy air reconnaissance at any time of the day, even in difficult meteorological conditions. In addition to hitting enemy air targets at short and medium distances, including against the background of the ground, the aircraft could be used to strike land and sea targets, both mobile and stationary.
Front-line fighter MiG-29SMT.
According to the chief designer of the fighter, M.R. the time of the MiG-15 fighter after the MiG-9 aircraft, which was the first-born jet of the MiG Design Bureau.
It was one of the first MiG aircraft (along with the MiG-31 interceptor), which featured dual-circuit turbojet engines (instead of single-circuit ones, which were used on all previous aircraft of the company), as well as a radar capable of detecting targets against the background of the underlying surface. The front-line fighter MiG-29 became the first fundamentally new machine, which was created under the leadership of General Designer R.A. Belyakov (after the death in 1970 of one of the founders of the MiG Design Bureau - A.I. Mikoyan).
In many respects, the MiG-29 was superior to its foreign counterparts - the Mirage 2000, F-16, F / A-18 fighters. Excellent aerodynamics and high thrust-to-weight ratio gave the fighter good acceleration and rate of climb, small turning radii, high turn rates, and the ability to perform long maneuvers with high g-forces. The aircraft can effectively conduct fairly active maneuverable combat using all-aspect missiles, as well as an automatic cannon, and intercept reconnaissance and attack aircraft.
The MiG-29 light front-line fighter was equipped with 2 Tumansky turbojet engines, which used afterburning of fuel and developed a thrust of 8300 kgf on takeoff. The fighter engine was smokeless and had water injection during landing, like all other engines of this designer. A unique feature of the fighter was that it could take off with a full combat load on one engine, with the inclusion of the second engine already in the air. This mode made it possible to save precious time in the event of a take-off on combat alert.
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The large wings of the MiG-29 gave the aircraft a lot of advantages. They provided the fighter with high lifting force with a relatively small load on the wing. The result of this was its excellent maneuverability, and the turn speed of the fighter was simply impressive for specialists. The wing of the aircraft was equipped with effective flaps and semi-opening ailerons, as well as fully opening slats. The angle of attack of the MiG-29 was comparable to the angle of attack of the main carrier-based US fighter F / A-18 "Hornet".
The cockpit of the fighter was surprisingly spacious and covered with a large canopy on top, which provided the pilot with a greater view compared to Western fighters. The instrument panel of the fighter was almost identical to that of the Su-27 heavy fighter, which made it easier for the pilots to switch from one machine to another.
The fighter could carry a wide variety of weapons on its suspension. Not only air-to-air missiles, but also air-to-surface missiles, as well as various bomb weapons. The MiG-29 is a versatile aircraft that can both gain air superiority and deliver bombing strikes against ground targets.
Modern upgrade option - MiG-29M
In 2005, RAC "MiG" began mass production of multifunctional fighters of a new unified family, which belonged to the "4 ++" generation. All fighters of this family were unified in their design, on-board systems, power plant, electronic equipment, as well as the weapon system. The unified and modified family of fighters will be in demand on the arms market for quite a long time. This family included:
- front-line fighters MiG-29M (single) and MiG-29M2 (double);
- shipborne fighters MiG-29K (single) and MiG-29KUB (double);
- front-line fighters MiG-35 (single) and MiG-35D (double).
Front-line fighter MiG-29M with deflectable thrust vector.
The MiG-29M and MiG-29M2 fighters are multifunctional fighters of the 4++ generation with an increased combat load, increased flight range, and an expanded range of onboard weapons.
The main technological and technical innovations that were introduced on the MiG-29M / M2 fighters were:
– improved wing and fuselage;
- significantly reduced visibility in the radar range;
- a digital integrated electrical remote control system for a fighter with a quadruple redundancy;
- increased capacity of the fuel system and the presence of an aircraft refueling system in the air;
- increased combat load, placed on 9 points of the external suspension.
Currently, the power plant of fighters includes the RD-33MK turbofan engine, which has increased thrust, as well as equipped with a new electronic system fully responsible control (FADEC type) and smokeless combustion chamber. Aircraft engines have a modular design and are characterized by increased resource and reliability. At the request of the customer, the aircraft can be equipped with modified RD-33MK engines equipped with an all-angle deflectable thrust vector (OVT). Such engines provide the aircraft with a decisive advantage in modern maneuverable air combat.
Radar "Zhuk-ME".
MiG-29M/M2 aircraft differ from their predecessors in increased reliability of components, systems and assemblies and improved operational characteristics. Compared to early series fighters, the cost of a flight hour on new aircraft is 2.5 times less.
The on-board electronic equipment of the MiG-29M/M2 fighters is based on the principle of an open architecture based on the MIL-STD-1553B standard, which allows, if the customer wishes, to install new weapons and equipment of both Russian and foreign production on the fighter. A new multifunctional multi-mode pulse-Doppler radar "Zhuk-ME" was installed on the aircraft, which is manufactured by the Fazotron-NIIR Corporation.
The airborne radar is equipped with a slotted antenna array. Compared to radars of previous generations, Zhuk-ME has a doubled target detection range, a wide range of viewing angles in azimuth, lighter weight and higher reliability. Radar "Zhuk-ME" is able to provide simultaneous tracking of up to 10 air targets and simultaneous missile attack of 4 of them.
MiG-29M/M2 aircraft are equipped with a target designation system for passive homing heads of anti-radar missiles and a multi-channel optical radar station. It is possible to install containers with laser and infrared sighting equipment on the fighter to illuminate targets located on the ground. The fighter’s weapons system includes guided air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, as well as unguided missiles, guided and conventional bombs, as well as a built-in 30-mm automatic cannon.
Flight performance of the MiG-29M:
Takeoff weight of the fighter - 17.500 kg
Max Speed:
- near the ground - 1500 km / h
- at high altitude - 2,400 km / h
The maximum number of M - 2.25
The practical ceiling of the fighter - 17500 m
Maximum overload - 9g
Ferry flight range:
- without PTB - 2000 km
- with 3 PTB - 3200 km
- with 3 PTBs and one in-flight refueling - 6000 km
Engine type: RD-33MK
Thrust on takeoff, kgf 2х9000
Armament:
Number of suspension points - 9
Guided air-to-air missiles:
- short range 8 x R-73E
- medium range 6 x RVV-AE
Guided air-to-surface missiles:
- general purpose 4 x X-29T (TE)
- anti-ship 4 x X-31A, X-35E
- anti-radar 4 x Kh-31P
Adjustable bombs 4 x KAB-500Kr
Built-in 30-mm automatic gun - GSh-301 (150 rounds).
Appearing almost simultaneously with the Su-27, in the 1980s, the MiG-29 first became one of the symbols of Soviet military power, and a little later - one of the main participants in the mass withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary, Czechoslovakia and united Germany.
If during the creation of the MiG-21, and then the MiG-23, among the important priorities was maximum speed, then the design of a new generation of fighters, which began in the USSR as a response to the American F-15 and F-16 aircraft, followed a completely different scenario. The main goals for the designers were high maneuverability, much more advanced equipment and a weapon control system. As part of this program, the design bureau of P. O. Sukhoi created an aircraft later known as the Su-27, and their colleagues from the design bureau of A. I. Mikoyan created the future MiG-29.
ADDITION TO SU-27
It was assumed that the Sukhoi machine, due to its huge range and a large number of missiles, would become the basis of air defense aviation, and in the Air Force it would play the role of an escort fighter for Su-24 bombers, operating at a great distance from its airfields. However, the Air Force, to ensure air supremacy in the front line area, such an aircraft was redundant, and it was decided to supplement it with a smaller, lighter and cheaper machine, the development of which was entrusted to the MiG Design Bureau. The management of the creation of a new machine, designated "Project 9", was carried out by A. A. Chumachenko and R. A. Belyakov (general designer). Since 1982, M. R. Waldenberg has become the chief designer of the MiG-29.
For the new aircraft, an integral layout was chosen with developed influxes in the root of the wing, as on the Su-27. However, instead of the revolutionary EDSU used on the Su-27, which makes it possible to make the aircraft statically unstable and obtain a gain in mass and size of the rudders, the traditional control system remained, well-established on previous MiG models. The power plant was designed specifically for this aircraft in the design bureau of V. Ya. Klimov under the leadership of the chief designer S. P. Izotov. The new 2-circuit turbojet engine with an afterburner (TRDDF) RD-33 turned out to be lighter, more economical and significantly more powerful than its predecessors of the same class.
The first flight of the prototype "Project 9.12" took place on October 6, 1977 under the control of A. V. Fedotov. Testing and fine-tuning 14 pre-production machines took almost six years, and only in 1984 the aircraft began to enter service with the Soviet Air Force. The release of fighters was mastered at the MAPO them. Dementiev - a Moscow plant located on Khodynka, not far from the Design Bureau. However, in its original form, the fighter did not quite suit the customer - primarily because of the short flight range, which is why the first MiG-29s earned the sarcastic nickname "fighter to gain air supremacy over their airfield." In addition, in the process of serial production, some structural elements also changed and improved - the layout of the front landing gear, the replacement of some composite structural elements with metal ones, and the rejection of aerodynamic ridges under the tail section. An important direction in the development of the MiG-29 was equipping it with the Gardenia electronic jamming system, which was only brought to working condition in the early 1980s. The placement of this equipment required a noticeable volume, and the only way out was the appearance of an overhead mainsail - a streamlined compartment behind the cockpit. The fuel system was reconfigured, and the capacity of the internal tanks was slightly increased. In addition, a ventral conformal PTB was developed for the MiG-29, and it became possible to hang two more PTBs under the wing.
All these measures significantly reduced the severity of the range problem - now, on long-haul flights with three PTBs, the aircraft could cover almost 3,000 km. Such aircraft received the name "Product 9.13" (although the designation MiG-29 remained unchanged); their release began in 1986, and this option became the most massive and formed the basis of front-line fighter aviation by the beginning of the 1990s. The MiG-29 was supposed to become a mass fighter of the USSR Air Force and allies in the ATS, which required mass training and retraining of pilots. In parallel with the improvement of the combat MiG-29, the Design Bureau created a 2-seat combat training modification of the MiG-29UB (“Product 9.51”). Deprived of the radar, the Spark had limited combat capabilities. The production of these machines was transferred to the aircraft plant in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod), which produced only MiGs for almost the entire post-war period.
MIG-29 - 4+ GENERATION MULTI-PURPOSE AIRCRAFT
The main weapon of the MiG-29 was air-to-air missiles, and the main purpose was to fight enemy aircraft.
Although the fighter could strike at ground targets, the range of weapons was extremely meager and included only conventional aerial bombs and unguided rockets - high-precision weapons remained inaccessible to the MiG-29. While the Air Force was armed with hundreds of excellent Su-17 and MiG-27 fighter-bombers, such specialization did not raise questions. However, in the early 1990s, a massive reduction in the composition of the Air Force ended with the complete elimination of this class of aircraft, and the solution of IBA tasks fell partly on Su-25 attack aircraft, and partly on front-line fighters.
NARROW SPECIALIZATION
From that moment on, the main direction of the development of the MiG-29 has been attempts to give it multifunctionality - both by modernizing the issued aircraft that are in service, and by developing new modifications. The latter direction led to the emergence of such projects as the MiG-29SM, SMT and the MiG-29M / MiG-33 / MiG-35 families. As a result, the MiG-29 became a real multi-purpose aircraft, acquired an in-flight refueling system and its performance characteristics were noticeably improved.
Another separate area was the development of a ship modification of the MiG-29K, which was originally intended to equip Soviet aircraft carriers under construction.
Unlike the Su-27, soon after entering the Soviet Air Force, the MiG-29 began to be widely exported. The first deliveries abroad went to the Warsaw Pact countries (GDR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria) and other allies of the USSR (India, Yugoslavia, Cuba, Iraq, Syria). In the course of cardinal military and political changes, aircraft often found themselves in the Air Force of military blocs, which until then considered the MiG-29 as a dangerous adversary. The machines supplied by the GDR have successfully served in the Luftwaffe side-by-side with Phantoms and Tornados for many years; over time, Polish, Bulgarian and Slovak vehicles ended up in NATO. At the same time, there was a sale of surpluses of the Soviet Air Force, inherited by several countries of the former USSR, and a few deliveries of new aircraft. Peru, Algeria, Iran, Hungary, Malaysia, Yemen joined the list of countries-owners.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF MIG-29 (9.13)
- Type: 2-engine front-line fighter
- Crew, people: 1
- Engines: 2 x Klimov R33 turbofan engine, thrust 50 kN without afterburner / 81.3 kN with afterburner each
- Dimensions, m:
- length: 17.32
- wingspan: 11.36
- height: 4.73 - Weight, kg:
- empty: 11 200
– normal: 15,300
- maximum: 18 480 - Specifications:
- maximum speed, km / h (at altitude) ceiling, km: 18
- flight range, km: 1500 (combat) / 2900 (ferry) - Armament: up to 6 short-range (R-60 and R-73) and medium-range (R-27) air-to-air missiles or other combat load weighing up to 2180 kg on 6 hardpoints under the wing, built-in 30-mm cannon GSH- 30-1 (150 rounds)
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in Yugoslavia in the 1970s. thought about acquiring a new Soviet fighter, which would not replace, but complement the MiG-21. True, the demands of the military did not receive a positive response due to economic reasons and, to a greater extent, political differences.
With regard to the new Mikoyan fighter with a variable sweep wing, the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) initially approached carefully. The MiG-23 was considered as a kind of Soviet version of the Phantom: it was assumed that this fighter, although stuffed with all sorts of different electronics, has a long flight range and is capable of carrying a significant combat load, but it is difficult to operate, and its maneuverability does not allow close range fight on an equal footing with the MiG-21. Indeed, the Yugoslavs were simply delighted with their MiG-21, and their assessments of this aircraft were based not only on own experience operation, but also based on information about the successes of Vietnamese pilots. Therefore, the RV&PVO seriously believed in the fallacy of the concept of the F-4 Phantom II fighter. At a minimum, such an aircraft had no place in the "self-defense-oriented" JNA.
When in the first half of the 1970s. The Soviet Union offered the MiG-23 for export, it seemed that the negative forecasts regarding the 23rd “flash” turned out to be accurate. Taking into account the simplified avionics, the MiG-23MS was very slightly superior in combat effectiveness to the MiG-21M. The advantage was a large rate of climb and range. In addition, for the takeoff and landing of the MiG-23, there were enough airfields with shorter runways. Meanwhile, the value of this fighter with a slightly more advanced radar (RP-22) and UR R-3R was only in the fight against high-altitude targets. In close combat, the MiG-21M was more than a serious opponent for him - especially in horizontal maneuver. Therefore, the Yugoslavs, like their neighbors from the Warsaw Pact, refused to buy this version of the MiG-23.
Headquarters of the RViPVO in the second half of the 1970s. analyzed various options for arming fighter squadrons with new Eastern-made aircraft as part of the L-X program. The choice basically came down to two types: MiG-21bis and MiG-23MF. The Hungarians were the first to receive the MiG-21bis, having adopted it back in 1975. The Hungarian choice to a large extent influenced the decision of the Yugoslavs. From an economic point of view, operation was cheaper, and purchase price The MiG-21bis was almost two times smaller than the MiG-23MF.
The Bulgarians, meanwhile, ordered the MiG-23MF and received them already in November 1978. In the next 1979, Bulgaria was followed by Romania and Hungary. Bulgaria eventually received the MiG-21bis, and in December 1983, when this country already had the latest MiG-23MLA in service. The privileged status allowed the Bulgarian Air Force in 1984-1985. to form a fighter fleet of light aircraft of various types, cheap and expensive, while simultaneously adopting the MiG-23MLD (MLAE-2) and an additional number of MiG-21bis. Thus, of all the neighbors of Yugoslavia, only Romania remained committed to the original plan, completing the "epopee" of the MiG-21 with the purchase of a modification of the MF.
After Tito's death, the generals demanded additional financial allocations for aviation. The purchase of the MiG-23ML was advocated by the allied secretary for defense, General of the Army Nikola Ljubicic, a great admirer of the Mig fighters. On the other hand, the leaders representing the western republics of Yugoslavia were categorically against increasing the cost of purchasing new technology for JNA. For the Slovenian and Croatian elite, the Yugoslav army was
"a dragon that devoured the federal budget."
The elites of these republics were ready to stand in the way of increasing funding for the JNA. Under the carpet, battles were fought inside the Yugoslav secret services, and a card was extracted, which, unfortunately, often turned out to be a trump card in the SFRY - a high-ranking JNA officer was found who, in his letters, accused General Ljubičić of "collaborating with the Russians." The letters were sent to the member of the Presidium of the SFRY Sergei Kreiger, the representative of Slovenia. The accusations did not break General Lubichich, but they were reflected in the plans for rearmament of the army - the collateral damage was the refusal to purchase the MiG-23.
The MiG-27 fighter-bomber also did not get a chance to demonstrate its capabilities in the skies of Yugoslavia, since the YUROM (Orao) program, inspired by the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft, received priority. Indeed, back in January 1972, General Lyubichich ordered the Aviation Technical Institute of the VTI (Aircraft Technical Institute) to analyze the possibility of redesigning the Orao into a single-engine aircraft, more acceptable from the point of view of the cost-effectiveness criterion in the light of the installation of the TRDF R- 11F2S-300 (at that time this engine cost 2.6 times less than Western engines of the same class). The Russian engine also guaranteed an increase in the performance characteristics of the Orel and made it possible to unify the aircraft by engine with the MiG-21PFM.
Unfortunately, VTI specialists came to the conclusion that such a rework is inappropriate - it is too late and expensive to make changes to the project. In October 1972, the concept received political support, according to which power plant, and at any price, answered Great Britain. On the Orao prototypes, two Rolls-Royce Viper Mk.632-41 engines were installed, which even in later versions, including the final production Mk.633-41, did not have sufficient thrust and did not provide the aircraft with the calculated performance characteristics.
And yet, the MiG-23 left a mark, at least symbolic, in the history of the RV&PVO.
In the late 1980s Yugoslavia received the largest income from military and construction cooperation with Iraq. After the Iran-Iraq war, Saddam Hussein promised Yugoimport representatives a big piece of the Iraqi Air Force renewal pie. The only problem was that the Zmaj ARZ in Velika Gorica on the outskirts of Zagreb was licensed only for the repair of MiG-21s, and the repair of MiG-23ML and Su-20/22 variable-sweep wing aircraft represented the greatest financial benefit. "Zmaj" also hoped for the export of its aerial targets, computers, various devices for MIG aircraft, which became a sufficient reason for requesting the consent and assistance of the National Defense Secretariat for the development of the Iraqi market.
The development of the MiG-23 followed the path of improving the design of the airframe and electronics, improving production technology. The next step in the evolution of the machine was MiG-23M("23-11M"), which turned out to be the most massive fighter from the "twenty-third" family. The aircraft had a wing with a "fang" and a fourth fuselage fuel tank, however, the consoles were equipped with a deflectable toe, actuated synchronously with the flap, which significantly increased the wing's load-bearing properties during takeoff and landing modes. The aircraft was equipped with an R-29-300 engine (thrust 8300/11500 kgf). The Sapphire-23D radar was included in the avionics, finally brought to the stage of mass production.
For the first time, domestic serial fighters received a radar capable of working on enemy aircraft against the background of the earth. The detection range of a typical target was 55 km, the capture range was 35 km, the processing of radar information before displaying it on the sight was carried out by an AVM-23 analog computer. To provide the station with more "comfortable" working conditions, the shape of the radio-transparent fairing was changed, which became from conical to ogive. Under the fuselage of the MiG-23M, behind the wedge-shaped glazing, a heat direction finder TP-23 was placed. The aircraft was equipped with an improved automated system SAU-23A control, as well as the Polet-1I-23 navigation system.
The composition of weapons MiG-23M was significantly expanded and included: built-in cannon GSH-23L, two medium-range missiles R-23R (radar semi-active guidance system) or R-23T (IR homing), two to four short-range missiles R-3S, R-3R or K- 13M, or UR melee R-60. For the suspension of the latter, APU-60 / 2, designed for two SDs, could be used, which made it possible to bring their total number on board the aircraft to six. The Shestidesyatka was created under the leadership of M.R. Bisnovat and became the first rocket of this class in the world, capable of launching when the carrier was overloaded up to 7 units, that is, practically at the limit of the aircraft's maneuverability. To destroy ground targets, the fighter was equipped with guided missiles X-66 and X-23R, NAR S-5, S-8 and S-24, as well as free-fall bombs, one-time bomb clusters and napalm tanks weighing up to 500 kg.
The MiG-23M made its first flight in June 1972 under the control of Fedotov. The new aircraft, like the MiG-23S, did not find much love among military pilots, although many of the shortcomings of the first production version of the "twenty-third" were eliminated in its design. The undeveloped technology for manufacturing wing consoles still imposed serious restrictions on overload. The pilots and technicians of the Civil Aviation Research Institute of the Air Force, having suffered with the MiG-23M, joked bitterly: "If only they were removed from service and converted into flying targets, then we will win back on them!". However, the production of the MiG-23M was constantly gaining momentum, reaching eight aircraft per month by 1976.
Perfection MiG-23M continued. Its design was gradually improved, and the afterburner thrust of the engine was increased to 12300-12500 kgf. The main probable opponents of the MiG-23M in the 1970s were considered the American F-4E Phantom II fighter (McDonnell produced 1127 of them) and the French Mirage F-1. In single combat with these formidable opponents, the MiG-23M pilot, depending on the conditions of air combat, could fully use the positive qualities of an aircraft with variable wing geometry, which gave him the maximum possible superiority in maneuverability for each flight speed. So, when catching up with the enemy, as well as separating from him, the MiG-23M pilot could shift the wing to maximum sweep and switch to supersonic mode, in which the MiG-23M had a shorter acceleration time. The minimum sweep could be used in combat at flight speeds of less than 700-800 km / h, especially in vertical maneuvers. In almost the entire range of altitudes at speeds of 700-1100 km / h, the MiG-23M surpassed the Mirage F-1 in terms of maneuverability and rate of climb. At speeds of more than 1100 km/h at medium and high altitudes, it was unprofitable for the MiG-23M pilot to fight the Mirage in steady turns. The existing superiority of the MiG in rate of climb could be used to transfer the battle to ascending vertical maneuvers with low Gs, which would lead to a decrease in speed and transfer the battle to conditions where the MiG-23 was superior to the Mirage F-1.
When conducting air combat with the F-4E at speeds of 800-1100 km / h at low and medium altitudes with overloads close to the maximum thrust, the MiG-23M surpassed the enemy in horizontal maneuver, yielding to him in vertical maneuver. The superiority of the MiG-23M over the F-4E (the most massive aircraft of the Israeli Air Force) indirectly confirms the fact that from the second half of the 1970s, from the moment the MiG-23 appeared in the Middle East, the Israeli Air Force stopped using Phantoms to conduct air battles. Comparing the capabilities of combat aircraft, it is very important to evaluate their aiming systems and weapons. Without exaggeration, it can be noted that the sighting system of the MiG-23M fighter was not inferior to the sighting systems of the F-4E fighters (AN / APQ-120 radar, AN / ASG-26 optical sight) and Mirage F-1 (Cyrano IV, optical sight CSF-196), and in some respects significantly surpassed them. (The capabilities of the Sapphire-23D-III, AN / APQ-120 and Cyrano IV radars are illustrated in diagram 2.) The AN / APQ-120 radar, compared to the French and Soviet radars, did not have a target detection mode against the ground, and was also less noise-immune. The presence of a heat direction finder on the MiG-23M significantly expanded its combat capabilities and made it possible to successfully carry out combat missions even in conditions of powerful electronic countermeasures. The detection range of the TP-23 F-4 fighter from the rear hemisphere in simple weather conditions was about 20 km. The R-23R missiles were superior in their capabilities to the AIM-7B Sparrow and Matra R.530 missiles with a radar seeker, but were somewhat inferior to the F-4Es that entered service in the second half of the 1970s, the AIM-7F Sparrow missiles, which, however, was compensated by the more powerful aiming system of the MiG-23M.
Considering close combat missiles with a thermal seeker, it can be noted that the AIM-9A "Sidewinder" and P-3C missiles were similar, as well as the AIM-9C, "Matra" R.550 and R-13M. Advantage MiG-23M consisted in equipping it with the R-60 close maneuverable air combat missile. There were no similar missiles in service with potential opponents in 1975. The situation changed only later, with the adoption by the United States of the AIM-9L UR with a more sensitive thermal seeker than the P-60. Assessing the cannon armament, it can be noted that, compared with the American Vulkan MG1 cannon, the Soviet GSh-23L had better ballistic characteristics, a larger caliber and a larger projectile weight. The second volley of both guns was approximately the same. However, the F-4E had a firing time of 6-7 s, the MiG-23M - 4 s, and the Mirage F-1 - more than 10 s, although the two French DEFA cannons were somewhat inferior to the GSh-23L in a second salvo. A comparison of the aiming and armament systems of the three vehicles shows that the capabilities of radar sights for detecting air targets, as well as for solving aiming problems, are almost the same, with slight advantage at the Soviet radar.
"Sapphire-23D-III" had a higher noise immunity and an advantage over the AN / APQ-120 radar in terms of the range of mutual detection of MiG-23M and F-4E aircraft at low, extremely low and medium altitudes. The use of a heat direction finder on the MiG-23M made it possible to carry out covert attacks in the rear hemisphere. In close combat, the MiG-23M had superiority over the F-4E and Mirage F.1 due to the possibility of using R-60 melee missiles, which compensated for the shortcomings of the MiG-23M cannon armament. From the foregoing, we can conclude that the MiG-23M was superior to contemporary Western fighters in terms of combat capabilities. However, these aircraft did not have a chance to meet directly in battle. And the MiG-23M had to fight in 1982 with Israeli F-15s and F-16s over Lebanon. Some unscrupulous analysts, purely mechanically comparing the Soviet fighter with the F-15 and F-16, make the incorrect conclusion that the MiG-23M was a bad fighter and did not meet the requirements of the time.
It must be remembered that during the years of mass production MiG-23M(1974-1976) neither the F-15, nor even the F-16, were in service yet. The first F-15A appeared in the US Air Force only at the end of 1976 (in the US Air Force in Europe - in the spring of 1977), and the F-16 - only at the end of 1978. Of course, in terms of their flight characteristics and combat capabilities, the new American fighters surpassed the MiG-23M, but they were already aircraft of a different generation. Moreover, the first serial F-16s, produced over several years, did not have medium-range missiles in their weapons and could only successfully fight the MiG-23M in close combat, which was confirmed in 1982 during the fighting over Lebanon . In 1982, Syrian pilots on the MiG-23MF (export version of the MiG-23M), not even trained in close maneuvering combat (it began to be mastered in the USSR only in 1980, after the restrictions on overloads on the MiG-23 were lifted), successfully resisted Israeli F-15 and F-16. By the beginning of hostilities, in 1982, there were 21 MiG-23MF aircraft in the fighter squadron of the 17th air brigade of the Syrian Air Force (Sigal airbase). The combat load of most of the squadron's fighters included two R-23R missiles, two R-60 missiles, and 200 shells for the GSh-23A cannon.
During the six days of the Lebanese war, the pilots of the squadron made 52 sorties on the MiG-23MF, destroying 6 Israeli aircraft, according to some sources, 9 (six F-16s, two F-15s, one unmanned reconnaissance aircraft). All Israeli planes were shot down from the first attack by R-23R missiles, which confirmed the high capabilities of the Sapphire-23D-III radar and Soviet missiles. The losses of the Syrians amounted to six MiG-23MF (two pilots died, four ejected safely). It should be noted that the removal of Syrian ground radar posts from the theater of operations excluded the detection of low-flying Israeli fighters. At the same time, Israeli ground-based radars installed on the Golan Heights and reinforced with Hawkeye AWACS aircraft completely controlled the airspace over the entire altitude range, ensuring effective guidance of their fighters. Given this, as well as the use of exclusively the latest F-15 and F-16 fighters in air battles, the use of the MiG-23MF in 1982 over Lebanon can be considered successful.
Already at the start of operation MiG-23M in combat units, a significant superiority of its combat capabilities was confirmed in comparison with the main fighter of the Soviet Air Force - the MiG-21. Thus, the use of RSBN-6S greatly facilitated navigation, and the presence of a powerful radar in combination with a heat direction finder and new missiles increased the effectiveness of intercepting air targets. However, the sharp complication of equipment, compared with the MiG-21, at the same time presented increased requirements for the training of pilots. Insufficient level of knowledge often led to non-fulfilment learning objectives, incomplete use of the capabilities of navigation and sighting systems. For example, practical launches of the R-13M UR from the ventral hardpoints required clear and competent actions from the pilot due to the threat of engine surge. For this reason, there have been cases of unintentional engine failure.
The flight of a fighter is not monotonous, but energetic maneuvers in areas without radio correction, say, at low altitude, led to a rapid accumulation of coordinate errors, which often confused the pilots. At the initial stage of the development of the MiG-23 in combat units, there were destructions of the wing turning mechanisms. As a result flight training on the MiG-23 for a long time was limited to flights along the route and the performance of long-range missile battles. After strengthening the mechanism for turning the wing, a temporary restriction on permissible overloads was again introduced in 1977, and flight training was supplemented with close air combat. Practically when flying during the day in simple weather conditions, all training intercepts ended in close air battles in pairs or units.
As noted above, the hasty adoption MiG-23 into service did not allow to fully explore its combat capabilities. Therefore, during the fighting in 1982, in Lebanon, these studies under the leadership of Air Marshal A. Efimov continued in an emergency order on the basis of a fighter aviation regiment based in the village of Vaziani (ZakVO) and armed with MiG-23ML fighters. Pilots from the Lipetsk Center were also involved in this work. combat use Air Force and developers of the Sapphire-23 radar. The main purpose of the research was a thorough study of the capabilities of the radar during interceptions in the mountains. In the course of the work, the flights moved to the Nasosny airfield, where, for several flight days, the possibility of aiming MiG-23 fighters at targets on commands from the MiG-31, which was used as an AWACS aircraft, was studied. For this purpose, four MiG-31s, which were undergoing military tests at that time, were relocated to Nasosny. The results of the interaction of both fighters were clearly unsatisfactory.
It should be noted that the MiG-23M was minimally adapted to work on ground targets. Bombing on it was carried out "by eye" and was never accurate. Even the most trained pilots, as a rule, made misses of 300-500 m or more. Firing from the GSh-23 cannon and launching the NAR C-5 were carried out more or less accurately, although only 2 to 6 shells were loaded in the UB-16 during firing practice. The introduction of new and not always proven technical solutions on the MiG-23M had a negative impact on the reliability of systems and assemblies. The MiG-23 suffered from frequent nicks in the engine blades (sometimes up to 10 aircraft were idle in the regiments along the nicks of the engines). This circumstance made increased demands on the cleanliness of taxiways and runways. With the replacement of the engine associated with the undocking of the fuselage, only in exceptionally favorable cases, they coped within one day. Usually, in the presence of a mass of current affairs, this operation, together with the control gas supply, was delayed for 3-5 days.
The adjustment and adjustment of the SAU-23 was very laborious. The importance of these works was determined by the introduction in 1978 of the mandatory development of automatic landing. Failures of the Sapphire-23D-III radar were a constant headache for specialists. The replacement of radar transmitters, associated with the removal of the nose fairing and the roll-out of the nose monoblock, turned out to be very laborious. The transmitters themselves (a pulse weighing 140 kg and a continuous illumination channel transmitter for missiles weighing 110 kg) had to be replaced using a special crane. Even for experienced specialists, this operation took at least 2 hours. The introduction of a radar cooling system with antifreeze (on the MiG-21 with RP-22 this system was alcohol) also created problems. During operation, clots appeared in the antifreeze, clogging the filter. This led to an emergency shutdown of the station, sometimes even in flight. The design flaws of the radar should also include the unsatisfactory software for calculating the maximum launch ranges for the R-60 missiles by the AVM-23 - they were clearly overestimated (this drawback was later eliminated on the MiG-23ML). However, in fairness, it should be noted that radar failures were quite rare when the fighter was operated in areas with low humidity and small daily temperature fluctuations. However, the reliability of the Sapphire-23D-III radar at that time was quite comparable to the reliability of similar foreign radars. The ARK-15 radio compass worked very unstable.
The biggest problem was poor sealing. MiG-23ML, especially the cabin compartment. Moisture (condensate) often got into the control connectors, which caused the failure of the equipment power circuits (usually this ended in blown fuses). Repair of the MiG-23M equipment was hampered by its complex location on a special whatnot, in the cabin compartment. To access the blocks, the whatnot had to be lifted using a special aircraft hydraulic system, driven by a hand pump mounted on the towing carrier and connected to the aircraft with a hose. When the aircraft hydraulic lift broke down, which, however, happened extremely rarely, the whatnot had to be removed from the cockpit compartment by a crane or manually. When firing from the GSh-23L cannon at the AFS "Pion", the covers of the safety sockets spontaneously opened, breaking the power circuits and disabling the radio correction channel of the navigation system. Serious problems arose during the suspension and change of ammunition. Although there were special lift carts, almost all weapons, with the exception of large-caliber bombs, were suspended and removed manually. The replacement of the R-23R UR with the R-23T in the ammunition load and vice versa was associated with the corresponding replacement of the corresponding radar unit. The replacement of one R-23R missile in the ammunition load with another required additional adjustment on the ground of the radar seeker of the new missile to the frequency of the transmitter of the target illumination channel of the Sapphire-23D-III radar.
To perform pre-flight and preliminary training on all aircraft systems, as well as for some repair work based on the GAZ-66 car for MiG-23M there was a convenient mobile integrated control system KSK-23. To carry out the repair of the Sapphire-23D-III radar and carry out repair work on it, there were special vehicles that differed in large dimensions. For the flight crew, the KTS-6 simulator was created. All these shortcomings, of course, should not be considered obvious flaws in the designers - it is more fair to attribute them to "growth problems". The maintainability of the MiG-23 was not lower than that of the MiG-21, while the level of equipment was an order of magnitude higher. Most of the shortcomings inherent in the MiG-23M were eliminated in subsequent modifications. The MiG-23, of course, has become a noticeable phenomenon, marking with its appearance an important step in the development of domestic front-line fighters. He did not participate in the hostilities much, but if he did fight, then with decent efficiency. Many of the technical solutions, especially in the field of sighting and navigation systems, tested on the MiG-23, were a good basis for creating fourth-generation machines - the MiG-29 and Su-27.
The performance characteristics of the MiG-23M
Wingspan, m
minimum 7.78
maximum 13.97
Length, m 16.71
Height, m 4.82
Wing area, m2
maximum 37.27
minimum 34.16
Weight, kg
empty 10890
normal takeoff 15700
maximum takeoff 18400
fuel 4090
Engine type 1 turbofan R-29-300
Thrust, kgf
afterburner 1 x 12500
maximum 1 x 8300
Maximum speed, km/h:
near the ground 1350
at high altitude 2500
Ferry range, km 2380
Practical range, km 1450
Rate of climb, m/min 11700
Practical ceiling, m 17500
Max. operating overload 8.0
Crew, people 1
Armament: 23 mm gun GSh-23L (200 rounds of ammunition),
Combat load - 2000 kg on hardpoints:
two medium-range missiles R-23R or R-23T, two to four short-range missiles R-3S, R-3R or K-13M, or short-range missiles R-60.
guided missiles X-66 and X-23R, NAR S-5, S-8 and S-24, free-fall bombs, disposable bomb clusters and napalm tanks weighing up to 500 kg.
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