At the G7 Summit in Hiroshima (Japan), US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said President Biden had agreed to let Western allies supply Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, including the US-made F-16. Experts expect these fighters can create a turning point in the balance of power on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Meanwhile, the MiG-29 is considered to be equivalent to the F-16. At the end of March, Kiev was given the green light to buy used Mikoyan MiG-3 fighters from Slovakia and Poland. This is a twin-engined aircraft, which entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 29. Along with the Sukhoi Su-1983, the MiG-27 was developed to directly counterbalance American fighters such as the F-29 Fighting Falcon or the F-16 Eagle.
The MiG-29 variants feature advanced fly-by-wire controls, the latest avionics and multi-mission capabilities. The most advanced version today is the MiG-35. Currently, there are 30 countries employing variants of the MiG-29 in the army.
Observers estimate that Ukraine has about 15-20 MiG-29s, 20 Su-27s and about 33 MiG-29s delivered from Slovakia and Poland. In particular, the version transferred by Slovakia has NATO-compatible radio and navigation equipment, similar to the Ukrainian MiG-29MU1 variant. The planes from Warsaw are significantly upgraded with modern transponders, GPS and radar warning receivers, NATO-style radios, new avionics and cockpit displays, and a MIL-STD 1553 digital data transmission system.
Why does Ukraine still want the F-16?
Both types of aircraft have similar operational capabilities in most of the previously documented cases. Although the standard MiG-29 version is not equipped with "fly-by-wire", it still ensures mobility and agility.
Western pilots consider the MiG-29's most impressive capabilities to be its low-speed maneuverability, a combination of a helmet-mounted sighting system and missiles capable of "steering" in the air.
According to German pilots who have conducted combat operations training with this type of aircraft, the MiG-29 scores high in terms of energy maneuverability and has an advantage in low-speed close combat. Some people even liken that this plane can turn its head and fight "in a phone booth".
Meanwhile, the F-16 has the advantage at speeds above 200 knots (~230 mph), is smaller in size and does not leave smoke trails from the engine like the MiG-29. In the past, Russia's aerial weapons were better valued, but since the breakup of the Soviet Union, some production plants have moved to the Soviet republics, and a shortage of capital has slowed down the development of the MiG-29.
As for Ukraine, they still want to receive F-16s from the West instead of using fighters of Soviet origin. In addition to the compatibility factor of NATO weapons and spare parts, the issue of technological secrecy also plays a significant role.
For example, the MiG-29s sent by Slovakia to Kiev were said to be "flyable but not capable of combat". The Slovak Defense Minister explained that the reason may be because Russian technicians interfered in some parts while performing maintenance and upgrading work at the Sliac airbase at the end of 2022.
General Lubomir Svoboda, of the Slovak Air Force, said that even the technical staff of this country do not fully understand the MiG-29 aircraft, so they need the direct support of Russian experts in the maintenance process.
(According to EurAsian Times)
