Carrier-based fighter-bomber MiG-29K.
Developer: OKB MiG
Country: USSR
First flight: 1988
The second deep modification of the light front-line fighter MiG-29 was the multi-role shipborne aircraft MiG-29K, development work on which was carried out at the MMZ. A.I. Mikoyan since the mid-80s in parallel with the design of the MiG-29M. Along with the ship-based modification of the Su-27 (Su-33), the MiG-29K fighter was supposed to be the first domestic combat aircraft capable of taking off from the deck of a ship and landing on it in the usual way, i.e. with run and mileage. Before this, the country’s Navy had neither aircraft of this type nor ships capable of receiving them. At the same time, the navies of the leading naval powers of the world were already in service with more than two dozen aircraft carriers. The United States had 16 ships (including six nuclear), each of which had on board 70-80 aircraft - A-6E and A-7E attack aircraft, F/A-18 fighter-attack aircraft and F-14 fighters, taking off from decks using steam catapults.
In the USSR, the need to equip the Navy with ships with aircraft on board was officially recognized by the country's leadership only in the late 50s, when ballistic missile submarines began to enter service with the US Navy. However, since it was not possible to “land” jet aircraft on board the ship without the necessary technical groundwork in a short time, the problem began to be solved in the direction of creating anti-submarine cruisers (ASC) with aviation weapons - first with deck-based helicopters, and then with aircraft- vertical takeoff and landing attack aircraft. In 1967 and 1969, the fleet included the cruisers "Moscow" and "Leningrad" (project 1123) with 14 Ka-25 helicopters on board, and in 1975 and 1978 - the cruisers "Kiev" and "Minsk" ( project 1143) with 16 Yak-38 aircraft and 16 Ka-25 or Ka-27 helicopters.
In terms of flight performance characteristics, the Yak-38 vertical take-off attack aircraft were far from perfect: their combined power plant, consisting of a lift-and-propulsion turbojet engine with deflectable nozzles and two lifting engines, consumed a fair share of the fuel available on board in vertical take-off and landing modes, as a result, the flight range of the Yak-38, even without a combat load, was only slightly more than 500 km, and with weapons attached, correspondingly even less. The range of the armed attack aircraft was only 90-160 km - according to this indicator, the Yak-38 could not compete even with deck helicopters. In addition, the “Yaks” were practically unable to provide air defense for naval groups in ocean theaters of war - for this they had neither the necessary weapons nor sighting devices, nor did they possess the altitude-speed characteristics inherent in fighters. Therefore, the question inevitably arose about the development of aircraft-carrying ships with aircraft that take off and land in the traditional way, i.e. with run and mileage.
Therefore, back in 1968, parallel to the design of the Kiev-type anti-ship missiles, at the Nevsky Design Bureau (NPKB) of the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry under the leadership of A.B. Morin, research began on the appearance of a promising aircraft-carrying ship (AK) with ejection take-off of aircraft. As a result of a series of comprehensive research projects, by 1972 the tactical and technical characteristics of such a ship were substantiated and its preliminary design was developed. The aircraft armament of the first Soviet AK, known as “Project 1160,” was to be deck-based MiG-23K fighters (based on the “land” MiG-23ML), Su-25K attack aircraft (based on the Su-25 army attack aircraft being developed) and subsonic anti-submarine jets P-42 aircraft (designed by the Taganrog State Union Experimental Plant for Marine Aircraft Manufacturing - former OKB-49 G.M. Beriev - under the leadership of chief designer A.K. Konstantinov). In the process of this work, for the first time, direct contacts were established between three aviation design bureaus (A.I. Mikoyan, P.O. Sukhoi and G.M. Beriev) with shipbuilding industry enterprises, tactical and technical specifications for the development of aircraft were prepared and agreed upon.
In a report presented to the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR Ministry of Defense in the summer of 1973, the ministers of the aviation and shipbuilding industry, the Commanders-in-Chief of the Air Force and the Navy, on the basis of the considered preliminary design, recommended organizing the creation of a nuclear-powered multi-purpose aircraft-carrying ship with a displacement of up to 80,000 tons, which was supposed to have strike missile weapons and an air group , which included Su-27K fighters (a deck version of the promising 4th generation Su-27 fighter) and P-42 anti-submarine aircraft. It was assumed that by 1986 the country's Navy would receive three such ships, which would significantly reduce the gap between the USSR and the United States in the production of aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft. This proposal, however, did not find support from the Central Committee, and primarily from its secretary D.F. Ustinov, who was in charge of defense issues. As an alternative, in the fall of 1973, D.F. Ustinov proposed developing a domestic aircraft-carrying fleet based on the Kyiv-type anti-ship missiles. The third ship of this project (1143.3) was planned to be built taking into account the deployment of Yak-38 vertical take-off and landing fighters, and later - supersonic Yak-141, and Ka-27 helicopters.
At the same time, the NPKB continued work on aircraft carrier-type vessels. Based on the Project 1160 AK, in the mid-70s, a ship design was prepared, which was called in documents “a large cruiser with aircraft armament of Project 1153.” It was supposed to have a displacement of about 70,000 tons (the displacement of the Kyiv-type anti-ship missiles is about 40,000 tons) and be equipped with a nuclear power plant. Onboard catapults and arresting gear would allow it to operate MiG-23K fighters and Su-25K attack aircraft. By 1985, the Navy could receive two large cruisers. However, foreign policy considerations and the death of influential supporters of the project (Minister of Defense A.A. Grechko and Minister of Shipbuilding B.E. Butoma) did not allow the implementation of the program for the construction of such ships. Instead, in 1977, they decided to continue the construction of heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers (TAVKR - the new name for anti-ship missiles with aircraft weapons) of Project 1143 of the Kiev type. The fourth ship (1143.4), which received the name “Baku” when it was laid down in February 1978, was supposed to have improved radio-electronic, anti-ship missile and defensive missile and artillery weapons and continue to accept on deck only vertically taking off aircraft of the Yak-38 type (in the future - Yak-141). On the fifth ship of this project (1143.5) with an increased displacement, along with basing Yak-141 vertical take-off and landing fighters and Ka-27 helicopters of various modifications, it was planned to provide ejection takeoff and aero-finishing landing of Su-27K fighters and Su-25K attack aircraft.
To test the aviation technical means to support the takeoff and landing of carrier-based aircraft (catapult, arresting arrester, emergency barrier, optical and radio-technical landing systems), study the specifics of ship-based aircraft, as well as train future carrier-based aviation pilots in the Crimea near the city of Saki at the Novofedorovka airfield, it was decided was to build a Research and Educational Training Complex (NIUTK), which later received the name "THREAD". It included an accelerating device (a prototype of a catapult) and blocks of cable and chain arresters. Before the start of experiments with aircraft, enterprises of the Ministry of Shipbuilding carried out a large-scale series of tests of equipment using unmanned simulators - loader carts, which were accelerated by the shuttle of the ejection device, and then slowed down by hooking the hook onto the arrester cables or caught by an emergency barrier.
In 1978, MMP named after. A.I. Mikoyan made a proposal to create a carrier-based MiG-29K aircraft based on the 4th generation MiG-29 fighter. At the same time, it was planned that the MiGs would complement the heavier and more expensive Su-27K in the TAVKR air group, just as this should have been done in the fighter aviation formations of the Air Force. What distinguished it from the “land” version of the MiG-29K was the internal fuel supply increased from 3650 to 4000 kg, the possibility of using underwing external fuel tanks with a capacity of 800 liters (with a standard dorsal and two underwing PTBs, the fuel supply exceeded 6500 kg). The normal take-off weight of the aircraft with four missiles was 15,570 kg (the MiG-29 is 2 tons less according to the project), and the maximum (with four missiles and three anti-tank tanks) was 18,210 kg. In terms of power plant, equipment and weapons, the MiG-29K was almost completely consistent with the MiG-29 (with the exception of an increase in the number of simultaneously suspended K-27 medium-range missiles and the replacement of the standard short-range navigation radio system with a special radio drive system and ensuring landing on the ship). The main armament version of the MiG-29K naval fighter included four K-27 missiles (two with underwing tanks), two K-73 close-range missiles, as well as ammunition for the built-in GSh-301 cannon (150 rounds). The combat radius of the aircraft was supposed to be 850 km without a PTB, 1050 km with a ventral tank, and 1300 km with three PTBs, with a loitering time at a distance of 250 km from the ship of 1.6-2.3 hours.
Proposal from OKB im. A.I. Mikoyan was accepted. Accordingly, the composition of the TAVKR air group of project 1143.5 was clarified: it was planned to include 18 Su-27K fighters and 28 MiG-29K fighters taking off from a catapult, as well as 14 Ka-252 helicopters: eight anti-submarine (after adoption - Ka-27PL), two search and rescue (Ka-27PS) and four radar patrol complexes (Ka-31). The aircraft of the air group were now intended exclusively for anti-aircraft defense of the cruiser and the order it headed, so they were not supposed to have any strike weapons. They refused to base MiG-23K fighters, Su-25K attack aircraft and P-42 anti-submarine aircraft on board the TAVKR. Thus, by the end of the 70s, the composition of the air group of the new TAVKR and its combat missions were defined quite clearly.
However, in 1981, a directive from the General Staff followed, ordering a significant reduction in the displacement of the Project 1143.5 TAVKR being developed, and the abandonment of basing catapult take-off aircraft on it and the catapults themselves. The basis of the ship's air group was again to be the vertically taking off supersonic Yak-141 fighters, and to ensure the take-off of such machines with an increased combat load, which could only be carried out with a take-off run, the cruiser was to be equipped with a take-off springboard. Based on the existing groundwork for deck-based modifications of 4th generation fighters, which had a high thrust-to-weight ratio, the leaders of the MMZ named after. A.I. Mikoyan and the Ministry of Health named after. P.O. Sukhoi, with the support of the Air Force command, made a proposal “not to remove” the MiG-29K and Su-27K from the ship, promising to ensure their non-ejection takeoff from the springboard. In the summer of 1981, the proposal of the MAP and the Air Force was accepted to conduct ground tests on the short take-off of the MiG-29 and Su-27 from a springboard, and a little later it was possible to achieve agreement to increase the displacement of the TAVKR to 55,000 tons. The cruiser's design was once again adjusted, taking into account its increased size and the presence of a springboard. The main aircraft of the TAVKR air group was still the Yak-141, but now it was also planned to base the MiG-29K and Su-27K fighters for springboard takeoff and arresting landing.
It should be noted that launching from a springboard even has a number of advantages over the traditional ejection takeoff method for Western aircraft carriers. When the catapult mechanism is activated, the piston of the steam cylinder with the shuttle, to which the deck aircraft is “hooked” by special units of the front landing gear, begins to move forward along the ship’s course with great acceleration, accelerating the aircraft to a speed of about 300 km/h, after which it leaves the deck, increases the angle of attack (which is accompanied by a “drawdown” of the vehicle along the trajectory - when leaving the deck, the values of the angles of inclination of the trajectory and attack are usually close to zero) and goes into a climb. Due to the fact that the stroke of the catapult piston is limited (usually about 90 m), it is possible to achieve the required speed only with large longitudinal overloads (up to 4.5), which are difficult for pilots to tolerate and often lead to disruption of coordination of their actions and sometimes even to short-term loss of consciousness.
When taking off from a ski-jump (it is equipped at the end of the flight deck in the bow of the ship), the aircraft's take-off speed does not exceed 180-200 km/h with a take-off run of 100-180 m, so the pilot experiences slight longitudinal overloads and is in full control of the situation. On the other hand, a launch from a springboard, which occurs at relatively low forward speeds, dictates more stringent requirements for the characteristics of stability and controllability of the aircraft and for its thrust-to-weight ratio. The aircraft's engines are put into takeoff (or emergency) mode before the takeoff run begins. At the same time, in order to keep the aircraft in place until permission to take off is received, special devices are used to prevent the aircraft from starting up prematurely—delays, which are stops for the wheels of the main landing gear that are released from under the deck. To prevent possible damage to the deck elements and superstructures of the ship by hot gases from aircraft engines operating at maximum speeds, the design of the TAVKR includes lifting cooled gas deflector shields.
Development of the ski-jump method of fighter take-off began at the NITKA complex in the summer of 1982. By this time, the complex was equipped with an experimental ski jump T-1, designed at the Nevsky Design Bureau and built at the shipyard in Nikolaev. It had a height of 5 m, a length of 60 m, a width of 30 m and an inclination angle of 8.5°. It was planned to involve appropriately modified prototypes of 4th generation fighters in the tests: the 7th flying copy of the MiG-29 (aircraft No. 918) and the 3rd copy of the Su-27 (T-10-3). In addition, for these purposes, LII allocated the MiG-27 aircraft No. 603 (tail No. 03), and the Ministry of Health named after. P.O. Sukhoi (somewhat later) - experimental T-10-25 (made, unlike the T-10-3, already in the configuration of the serial Su-27).
The conversion of MiG-29 No. 918 for flights at the Nitka complex was carried out in July-August 1982. The aircraft was significantly lightened - all the now “unnecessary” equipment was removed from it (previously the 918 was used to test the on-board radar), and at the same time the chassis structure was strengthened. The flyover of the modified fighter took place on August 11, and already on August 21, 1982, test pilot MMZ named after. A.I. Mikoyan A.G. Fastovets performed the first takeoff from the T-1 springboard on the 918th. The take-off run was 250 m, the exit speed was 240 km/h, and the take-off weight of the vehicle was 12,000 kg. The leading test engineer for MiG-29 No. 918 at NITKA was I.A. Vlasov, and the aircraft technician was V.N. Shmelev. Recalling the first takeoff from a springboard, A.G. Fastovets said that he was very worried: “Usually you take off like: there’s a runway ahead. Cleared. Everything is fine. Nobody here. And here in front of you, at a distance of 100 m, is a wall, and you need to climb this wall. The wall - it seems so, in fact it is a springboard. It was really exciting to run up such a hill. When you imagine what it should be, then it’s easier...”
A week later, the MZ pilot named after M.Z. took off from the springboard on the T-10-3. P.O. Sukhoi N.F. Sadovnikov (the take-off weight of the aircraft was 18,200 kg, the take-off length was 230 m, and the take-off speed was 232 km/h). In subsequent flights (a total of 32 of them were carried out under the test program), also carried out by test pilots of the MMZ named after. A.I. Mikoyan A.V. Fedotov and B.A. Orlov, pilot of the Ministry of Health named after. P.O. Sukhoi V.G. Pugachev and LII pilot V.G. Gordienko, the results gradually improved. On the MiG-29 No. 918, it was possible to reduce the take-off run to 150 m, and the exit speed from the springboard to 180 km/h, while the weight of the fighter reached 14,500 kg. On September 8, 1982, the program of the first stage of testing the MiG-29 No. 918 at the NITKA complex was completed, and the prototype, which had made 149 flights by that time (including 20 after conversion), was sent to the plant for further improvements.
The results of the first flights at the NITKA complex forced us to significantly adjust the profile of the take-off ramp. While the new ski jump was being built, in Crimea, in order not to waste time, they began practicing landing on an arresting device, which was a set of four rising and tensioning cables, one of which the landing plane had to be hooked onto with a release hook. The NITKA included the BS-P-1 landing block with a mock-up of the Svetlana-2 shipborne aerofinisher. The first test landings on a ground-based aerofinisher were performed on the experimental MiG-27 No. 603, retrofitted with a hook, by LII pilots A.V. Krutov and S.N. Tresvyatsky. In May-July 1983, MiG-29 No. 918 was also equipped with a hook. The vehicle was flown over on July 29, and on August 21, 1983 it was transferred to NITKA. The work of the 918th on the aerofinisher continued until October 31, 1983, the pilots of the MMZ named after. A.I. Mikoyan performed on it a large number of “assaults” on arresting arrester cables and more than a dozen test landings. In 1983, similar studies were carried out by N.F. Sadovnikov on the T-10-3, and in 1984 by V.G. Pugachev on the T-10-25. The flight length of aircraft using an aero arresting device was reduced to 90 m.
In 1984, the production of a new T-2 springboard was completed (height 5.6 m, length 53.5 m, width 17.5 m, descent angle 14.3°), which exactly repeated the shape of the bow part of the deck of the TAVKR project 1143.5 under construction. The first takeoff from the T-2 was performed on September 25, 1984 on the T-10-25 by N.F. Sadovnikov. On October 1, V.E. Menitsky began flying from the T-2 ski jump on MiG-29 No. 918 (tests continued until October 25, 1984). At the Nitka complex, they not only practiced taking off from a ski-jump and landing on an arresting aid, but also tested the landing approach equipment intended for the ship: the Luna-3 optical landing system, which warned the pilot with lights of different colors about deviations from the calculated glide path, and a drive radar complex and a radio engineering system for short-range navigation and landing. The first landings of MiG-29 No. 918 using the Luna-3 system were carried out in May 1984. In 1987, NITKA carried out the first automatic and night landings of aircraft using an arresting aid. In addition to the pilots of the OKB A.I. Mikoyan, P.O. Sukhoi and LII, military pilots from the Air Force Research Institute were also involved in the tests (for example, V.N. Kondaurov performed 200 flights at the NITKA complex in 1988, of which 65 were with landing on an aerofinisher).
Intensive flights at NITKA continued until December 1991, after which the operation of the unique complex, which ended up on the territory of “non-floating” Ukraine, was actually stopped. In August 1992, MiG-29 No. 918, which completed more than 300 flights under various test programs, was demonstrated under the name MiG-29KVP (i.e. “short take-off and landing”) in the static exhibition “Mosaeroshow-92” in Zhukovsky, and then was transferred to the Moscow Energy Institute, where it is used as a teaching aid.
Flight research carried out in 1982-1984 at the NITKA complex confirmed the fundamental possibility of creating serial ship-based fighters with ski-jump take-off and aero-finishing landing, and in 1984 a corresponding decree of the CPSU Central Committee and the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, setting the development of such aircraft at the MZ. P.O. Sukhoi and MMP named after. A.I. Mikoyan. The first was entrusted with the creation of the heavy shipborne air defense fighter Su-27K, the second - the lighter multi-role shipborne fighter MiG-29K, which could also be used to strike surface and coastal targets. It is easy to notice that, despite a number of significant differences (including in the method of take-off from the deck), the air group of the domestic aircraft-carrying cruiser was planned to be built on a principle close to that adopted in the US Navy, where the main types of carrier-based aircraft in the 80s became long-range heavy F-14 air defense interceptor fighters and lighter F/A-18 fighter-attack aircraft. The creation of shipborne fighters was supposed to be carried out in parallel with the construction of the new TAVKR project 1143.5, in close cooperation of specialists from two departments - the Ministry of Aviation Industry and the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry. The laying of the ship, which initially received the name "Riga" (in November 1982 it was replaced by "Leonid Brezhnev"), was carried out at the Black Sea Shipyard (ChSZ) in Nikolaev in September 1982. In December 1985, it was launched, and a year and a half later, the TAVKR was renamed again - now “Tbilisi”. The place of the ship "Leonid Brezhnev" in the ChSZ dry dock at the end of 1985 was taken by a second ship of a similar type - initially, again, "Riga" (since 1990 - "Varyag"), which was to be followed by an aircraft-carrying cruiser with a nuclear power plant - "Ulyanovsk" "(project 1143.7).
The design of the MiG-29K (product “9-31”) began at MMZ named after. A.I. Mikoyan under the leadership of General Designer R.A. Belyakov in 1984. M.R. Waldenberg was appointed chief designer of the aircraft. In contrast to the preliminary studies of the ship version of the MiG-29, completed in 1978 (see above), it was now planned to build the MiG-29K based not on the basic MiG-29, but on the modernized MiG-29M. The unification concerned primarily the new weapons control system, as well as a number of design and technological improvements that were planned to be introduced at the emka. OKB im. P.O. Sukhoi took a different path: for the air defense missions of the naval group, which they intended to assign to the Su-27K, the existing weapon system of the serial front-line fighter Su-27 was also quite suitable. To “water down” the Su-27, only modifications were required to ensure the aircraft could be based on a ship - the introduction of a folding wing, strengthening the landing gear, installing a landing hook, etc. Looking ahead, it should be said that thanks to this approach, Sukhov was able to quickly test the Su-27K and put it into service. The Mikoyanovites had to do a lot of work to fine-tune the new weapons control system, which is why the MiG-29K was “delayed” until the early 90s, when the country’s economy was hit by a crisis, and it was never put into mass production.
The MiG-29K was supposed to provide air defense of an aircraft carrier formation in all weather conditions in the altitude range from 30 m to 27 km, suppression of enemy aviation assets (anti-submarine defense aircraft and helicopters), transport landing helicopters, radar patrol aircraft, defeat of ship groups, cover landings, escorting shore-based aviation and conducting aerial reconnaissance.
Due to the specific conditions of deployment on the ship, the MiG-29K had a number of design features. When developing deck modification units, much attention was paid to protecting the aircraft from corrosion, taking into account the “marine” requirements for coatings, materials and sealing of individual elements. Due to the increased loads during landing, the central tank, the power compartment of the hull located behind it, to which the main landing gear and brake hook were attached, as well as the bow of the hull in the area of the front landing gear, were significantly strengthened. In the tail section, instead of a parachute braking unit, a hook damping mechanism and a rescueable emergency recorder were placed. As on the MiG-29M, a brake flap with an area of about 1 m was installed on the upper surface of the MiG-29K hull. The area of the stabilizer increased, and it received a characteristic “tooth” along the leading edge. The wing span and area increased to 11.99 m and 43 m2 - accordingly, its mechanization changed - double-slit flaps with an increased chord and ailerons that hovered during landing appeared on the ship-based fighter. The wing profile of the basic P-177 model gave way to the improved P-177M. To reduce the parking overall dimensions of the aircraft when placed on the deck of a ship and in below-deck hangars, the wing consoles of the MiG-29K were made folding and controlled from the cockpit via a hydraulic drive. In the folded position, the wing span was reduced to 7.8 m (the overall width of the aircraft with missiles suspended under the wing is 8.3 m). Initially, it was planned to make the radar radome deflectable (with the radome folded, the overall length of the aircraft was supposed to be reduced from 17.27 to 15.1 m), but this idea was later abandoned.
The landing gear struts had a greater length, increased shock absorber travel, and were equipped with units for mooring and towing by ship. To be placed in the retracted position in the previous volumes of the body, the racks of the main supports were equipped with pull-up mechanisms.
The controlled strut of the front landing gear began to rotate at an angle of up to 90°. A three-color indicator was installed on its struts, the lights of which informed the landing director about the position of the aircraft on the glide path and its landing speed. All pneumatics were replaced with new ones of higher pressure (20 kgf/cm2 (1.96 MPa)). The brake hook was located under the tail of the hull between the engine nacelles and was equipped with a release, pull-up and damping system. To provide visual control of landing on the deck at night, there was a hook illumination system.
Like the MiG-29M, the ship's vehicle was equipped with an analog-digital fly-by-wire control system with three- and four-fold redundancy on all three channels, with mechanical duplication in the roll and direction channels. Like the Emka, the MiG-29K no longer had upper air intakes, and its fuel system was redesigned accordingly (the internal fuel supply was 5670 liters). The aircraft was equipped with a centralized fuel refueling system for both internal tanks and three outboard tanks. In the event of an emergency landing, to reduce the weight of the vehicle to the maximum permissible (15,300 kg), provisions were made for emergency fuel drainage. To increase the flight range, the MiG-29K was equipped with an in-flight refueling system from a tanker aircraft (for example, Il-78), equipped with a unified suspended UPAZ refueling unit. The retractable refueling rod was located ahead of the cockpit on the left. At night, the rod was illuminated with a special headlight.
The MiG-29K power plant consisted of two RD-33K bypass turbojet engines, which had an integrated digital control system, which also generated control commands for the air intake flaps, and a new remote unit box. Engine thrust at maximum mode was increased to 5500 kgf (53.9 kN), at full afterburner - to 8800 kgf (86.3 kN). Unlike the turbofan engines with the same name RD-33K, used on the MiG-29M, the engines of the shipborne fighter were provided with an emergency operating mode (ER), in which the thrust briefly increased to 9400 kgf (92.2 kN). The CR guaranteed takeoff from a ship of an aircraft weighing 17,700 kg from the first launch position (take-off distance 105 m) and weighing 22,400 kg from the second launch position (take-off distance 195 m), and also allowed the MiG-29K pilot to make a missed approach even after touching down decks during the run stage (in case of non-engagement with the arresting arrester cable). The duplicated digital automatic control system (ACS) ensured the optimal operating condition of the engines in the entire range of flight modes and during missile launches. The controlled lower edge of the air intake, when deflected downward by 20 degrees, reduced thrust losses during takeoff.
The S-29K weapons control system used on the MiG-29K was generally consistent in composition with the SUV of the MiG-29M aircraft. It included the RLPK-29UM radar sighting system with NOYU radar with improved performance over the water surface and the OEPrNK-29M optical-electronic sighting and navigation system with an OLS-M optical-location station and a helmet-mounted target designation system. The pilot's cockpit housed a single multifunctional control panel, which made it possible to expand the range of air-to-surface missiles used. The SOI-29K information display system was three-screen and included a head-up display (KAI) and two multifunctional indicators on cathode ray tubes. The multifunctional weapons control system provided all-weather search, all-angle detection, identification and measurement of the coordinates of single and group air targets in free space and against the background of the underlying surface when exposed to organized interference. The integrated use of sighting systems made it possible to covertly launch an attack and use several types of weapons simultaneously. The weapons control system automatically detected and tracked up to ten targets, ensuring the launch of guided missiles at four targets.
One of the differences between the MiG-29K equipment complex compared to the avionics of the MiG-29M aircraft was the inclusion of the SN-K “Uzel” navigation system, which ensured aircraft navigation over the sea and its landing on the deck of an aircraft-carrying ship. The Uzel navigation system consisted of a new generation inertial navigation system (INS-84), a satellite navigation system, a short-range navigation and landing radio system, an air signals system and a digital computer. The onboard navigation system equipment had to interact with the ship's beacons. It had a noise-proof coded information transmission line and automated built-in control. Like the MiG-29M, the ship-based fighter was supposed to be equipped with an on-board defense system consisting of a radio reconnaissance station, a Mak-F heat direction finder, a Gardenia jamming station and two BVP-60-26 passive jamming units.
The MiG-29K's armament included eight variants of missile weapons for air combat and 25 variants of weapons for operations against ground and surface targets. The maximum combat load weight, as on the MiG-29M, was increased to 4500 kg. To accommodate it, there were nine suspension points: one between the air ducts of the engines and eight under the wing (including four under the folding parts of the consoles). Air-to-air guided missile weapons included two to four R-27R (RE) and T (TE) missiles, up to eight R-73 or RVV-AE missiles. The use of general purpose air-to-surface missiles Kh-25ML and Kh-29L (T), four anti-ship missiles Kh-31A and Kh-35 with active radar seekers, anti-radar missiles Kh-31P and Kh-25MP, and adjustable KAB bombs was provided -500Kr with television-correlation guidance system. Unguided weapons were represented by aerial bombs, KMG-U small-sized cargo containers and unguided missiles. Like the ground version, the MiG-29K had a built-in GSh-301 30 mm cannon with 100 rounds of ammunition.
For four years, intense work went on to design a new aircraft. The construction of two prototypes was carried out jointly by the experimental production of the Design Bureau and the serial plant “Znamya Truda” (MAPO named after P.V. Dementyev). On April 19, 1988, the first aircraft to receive tail number 311 (i.e., the “9-31/1” aircraft) was transferred to the airfield, and after a ground check of all systems and equipment, on June 23, 1988, test pilot MMZ named after. A.I. Mikoyan T.O. Aubakirov lifted her into the air. The leading test engineer for the 311th was S.P. Belyasnik, and the aircraft technician was Yu.V. Tyukov. The first experimental MiG-29K was not yet equipped with a new weapons control system. After 33 flights, which assessed the stability and controllability of the new aircraft, on August 7, 1989, MiG-29 No. 311 was transported to Saki. Test flights of the MiG-29K at NITKA in September-October 1989 confirmed the compliance of the takeoff, landing and flight characteristics of the machine with the calculated ones and made it possible to begin studying the suitability of the MiG-29K for deployment on board the TAVKR. The first stage of testing for compatibility between the MiG-29K and the ship was carried out on the Nitka complex, equipped with an analogue of the ship's arresting arrester S-2, a T-2 ski-jump and the Luna-3 optical landing system (OSP).
During tests at NITKA, the dynamic characteristics of the aircraft were studied during take-off and departure from the springboard, in transient modes, and the stability of the power plant in emergency mode was studied. Particular attention was paid to the accuracy and safety of landing on the aerofinisher, which was carried out without maintaining a glide path with an inclination angle of 3.5-4°. The light diagram developed at the Design Bureau for the Luna OSP ensured that the aircraft was brought to the calculated touching point (a circle with a diameter of 12 m) with a spread of vertical velocities within 0.5 m/s. “Flights” on the TsAGI flight stand, created by K.V. Zakharov and O.I. Tkachenko, played a big role. The primary skills acquired on this simulator allowed ANPK MiG test pilots T.O. Aubakirov, V.E. Menitsky, A.N. Kvochur, R.P. Taskaev and P.N. Vlasov to prepare to perform the most difficult stage of flight on the MiG-29K - landing on the deck.
On October 21, 1989, the TAVKR "Tbilisi" sailed from the outfitting wall of the ChSZ and went to sea. A very important moment was ahead: test pilots from the Design Bureau of P.O. Sukhoi and A.I. Mikoyan were preparing to land airplanes on the deck of a ship for the first time in the USSR. And 10 days later, on November 1, 1989, first V.G. Pugachev on the Su-27K (T-10K-2), and then T.O. Aubakirov on the MiG-29K No. 311 for the first time in the history of domestic aviation and the Navy “landed” their vehicles on board an aircraft-carrying cruiser. On the same day in the evening, Aubakirov on the MiG-29K made the first takeoff from the Tbilisi ski-jump (Pugachev on the Su-27K left the ship the next day), after which another aircraft landed on the deck of the TAVKR - the training Su-25UTG, piloted by I.V. Votintsev and A.V. Krutov. Flight design tests (FDT) of aircraft at Tbilisi continued on November 10 and were successfully completed on November 22, 1989, after which the ship returned to the plant for completion and retrofitting with the necessary equipment, and MiG-29K No. 311 was sent to the plant for modifications (by January 111 flights have already been carried out on it since 1990). During the flight test on November 17, 1989, military test pilots from the Air Force Research Institute - V.N. Kondaurov on the MiG-29K and Yu.A. Semkin on the Su-27K - took off for the first time from the deck of the TAVKR (and then landed). In total, during the flight design tests, 227 flights and 35 landings on the ship were made, of which 13 landings were on the MiG-29K: 10 were performed by T.O. Aubakirov, two by V.N. Kondaurov and one by A.N. Kvochur.
Factory sea trials (FSC) of the TAVKR in the Black Sea began on May 24, 1990 and continued until September of the same year, after which the new aircraft-carrying cruiser was officially included in the Navy on December 25, 1990 and received the new name “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov” . A year later, in December 1991, he moved to his base in Severomorsk. Test flights of MiG-29K No. 311 on the NITKA ground complex and the ship were resumed on May 23, 1990 and continued until October 3, 1990. On the fighter, the deck landing system was tested and the electromagnetic compatibility of the radio-electronic systems of the aircraft and ship was assessed. In the same year, OKB test pilot A.N. Kvochur made the first night landing and the first night takeoff from a ship on a MiG-29K, as well as a daytime takeoff with four missiles. During the testing process, a crack was discovered in the aircraft landing gear; it was necessary to somehow “remove” the prototype from the ship. We decided to take off from the deck in a lightweight version (with an incomplete fuel supply). The night take-off in a damaged aircraft was brilliantly performed by test pilot A.N. Kvochur. After the rack was repaired, testing of the MiG-29K continued.
In August 1991, flights began under the State Test program. Another ANPK MiG test pilot, R.P. Taskaev, took part in them. In a short time, thanks to intensive training, he mastered landing on the deck and taking off from it of an aircraft in the entire range of takeoff and landing weights. Thus, several times he took off on the MiG-29K No. 311 with stirrup external fuel tanks and four air-to-air missiles, the take-off weight of the aircraft reaching 22 tons. At the final stage of testing, a second experimental machine (onboard) was also involved in flights from the ship No. 312), which, unlike the first, had a new “marine” coloring and was equipped with a standard set of weapons control systems. The aircraft was supposed to be used mainly for testing the new SUV. The 312th entered testing in September 1990. By March 1991, it had completed 29 flights, in which stability and controllability, acceleration characteristics and fuel consumption were assessed. Until August 5, 1991, the aircraft was undergoing modifications at the factory, after which it was transferred to a ship.
In total, during the testing process, the first copy of the MiG-29K made 313 flights, including 13 under the State Test program. Using this machine, pilots from the Design Bureau and the State Research Institute of the Air Force performed 74 landings on the deck of a ship, as well as flights with refueling of the aircraft in the air. However, State tests of the MiG-29K were never completed. In the last (thirteenth) flight after landing on the deck, military test pilot V.N. Kondaurov literally “decomposed” the plane. After flying for 1.5 hours, the pilot safely boarded the ship and, with the engines running, relaxed and set the landing gear crane to retract. Having come to his senses, he returned the valve to the “release” position, but due to a sharp shift of the landing gear valve, a backflow of working fluid occurred in the hydraulic system and the hydraulic cylinders and tubes of the landing gear release-retraction system failed. The plane needed serious repairs. While it was being produced, in December 1991 the ship had already left for its permanent base in the Northern Fleet, and state tests of the MiG-29K had to be interrupted. The second prototype made only six flights. After restoration, seven more flights were performed on the first aircraft. The last, 320th flight of the MiG-29K No. 311 took place on August 27, 1992.
Competitors from ANPK Sukhoi Design Bureau managed to begin State testing of the Su-27K earlier, which was put into serial production in 1990. By the time they began in March 1991, seven production Su-27Ks had already been built, and the second prototype T-10K-2 was also in flight condition. ANPK MiG by this time had only two experimental MiG-29Ks (the readiness of the third flying machine, built at MAPO, was 60% by 1992). In 1991, it was decided to stop purchasing the MiG-29 for the Russian Air Force and concentrate the available meager funds to continue production of the Su-27. In this regard, the future of new modifications of the “twenty-ninth”, including the MiG-29K, became very vague. The Mikoyanites’ bet on the use of a promising weapons system on a ship-based fighter led to the fact that, in the context of a reduction and then a complete suspension of funding for the MiG-29K program, it was not quickly possible to develop it as an aviation combat complex. In addition, the collapse of the USSR and the military budget deficit led to the actual freezing of the program for the construction of new aircraft-carrying ships. At the beginning of 1992, at ChSZ, which became the property of independent Ukraine, the construction of the Varyag TAVKR was mothballed in a state of 70 percent readiness, and in February of the same year, the cutting into metal of hull sections of the nuclear-powered aircraft-carrying cruiser Ulyanovsk, laid down in November 1988, began. the degree of its readiness was estimated at 20%). Therefore, it became an unaffordable luxury to develop another type of naval fighter: for the air group of the only Kuznetsov TAVKR, the Su-27K, already in serial production, was sufficient.
However, it should be noted that the MiG-29K, although performing in a different “weight category” from the Su-27K, has a number of advantages over it. The Su-27K's range of weapons is limited only to air-to-air missiles, and its on-board equipment meets the requirements for avionics of 4th generation combat aircraft. The undoubted advantages of the Su-27K include a long flight range without external tanks, high maneuverability and thrust-to-weight ratio, and the ability to carry 12 medium- and short-range missiles simultaneously. The MiG-29K has a weapons control system with higher tactical characteristics, worthy of generation 4+ aircraft, and a significantly wider range of guided and unguided weapons, primarily of the air-to-surface class.
Therefore, it is still too early to “give up” on the MiG-29K aircraft. This is evidenced by the resumption of flight tests of the MiG-29K in August 1996, after a four-year break. According to the chief designer of ANPK "MiG" A.A. Belosvet, over the past period the experimental MiG-29Ms were equipped with a new set of equipment, and now the design bureau has definite plans for the MiG-29K. However, we are no longer talking about launching the MiG-29K into mass production. In modern conditions, the company considers it more realistic to use technical solutions developed on the MiG-29K on the deck version of the modernized MiG-29SMT fighter. Such solutions include a reinforced folding wing, a more energy-intensive chassis, a new set of equipment, etc. The new ship-based aircraft, known in the press as the “9-17K” product, can be offered not only to the Russian Navy, but also to foreign customers: in the press, for example, for several years now the possibility of selling the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov TAVKR to India has been discussed. which currently does not have “aircraft” weapons (operation of the Yak-38 VTOL aircraft on ships was discontinued in 1991), however, after possible modernization and necessary modifications (organization of a take-off springboard, arresting arrester, etc.) fundamentally capable of taking on board shortened aircraft take-off and landing weighing up to 20 tons. The design bureau is ready to retrofit the machine to provide ejection take-off.
MiG-29K aircraft have repeatedly participated in various aviation exhibitions. In February 1992, the second copy of the fighter (No. 312) was demonstrated to the heads and representatives of the defense departments of the CIS countries at the Machulishchi airfield in Belarus, in 1992, 1993 and 1995 - in a static exposition of the air show in Zhukovsky near Moscow. The aircraft did not fly for four years: the last before mothballing, the 106th flight of the MiG-29K No. 312 took place on August 28, 1992. However, in the summer of 1996, the 312th was again prepared for test flights and in September of the same year arrived in Gelendzhik, where the first international hydroaviation exhibition in Russia was held. After this, the aircraft was transported to the airfield of the State Flight Test Center in Akhtubinsk to participate in the final stage of State testing of the MiG-29M. To date, it has completed 109 flights. MiG-29K No. 311 was shown in August 1997 at the MAKS-97 air show. Now he is at the ANPK MiG flight base in Zhukovsky.
To train MiG-29K pilots, ANPK MiG in the second half of the 80s worked on a project for a two-seat deck-based combat training vehicle, called the MiG-29KU (ed. “9-62”). It is known that training carrier-based aviation flight personnel, and especially combat aircraft pilots, is extremely difficult. Errors during takeoff and landing on deck rarely go unpunished. A study of the possibilities of using the MiG-29UB land combat training aircraft for training naval pilots showed that the view from the rear cockpit (instructor) is clearly insufficient to ensure a safe landing on the deck. Therefore, the cabins of the instructor and the trainee on the MiG-29KU were made separate, similar to the cabins of the MiG-25RU/PU aircraft. The seat in the rear cabin was installed with a large excess relative to the front one, due to which almost the same visibility was provided during landing from both cabins. The new arrangement of the cockpits led to changes in the design and contours of the nose of the aircraft. The MiG-29KU, like the MiG-29K, was supposed to be equipped with two RD-33K engines. In terms of the design of the main components, the naval training vehicle was similar to a single-seat carrier-based fighter. Thus, the plane did not have upper entrances, the wing was folding, and a landing hook was attached to the rear of the hull.
Due to the suspension of work on the MiG-29K shipborne fighter, detailed design of its training version was not carried out. Only a purge model of the MiG-29KU and a full-size model of the head part of its hull were built, which was subsequently sent to the Air Force Academy. Yu.A. Gagarin (in Monino).
Modification: MiG-29K
Wingspan, m
-at the aircraft carrier parking lot: 7.80
-full: 11.99
Length, m: 17.37
Height, m: 5.18
Wing area, m2: 42.00
Weight, kg
- empty plane: 12700
-normal takeoff: 17770
-maximum take-off: 22400
Fuel, kg
-internal: 5670
-maximum with PTB: 9470
Engine type: 2 x TRDDF RD-33I
Thrust, kgf: 2 x 9400
Maximum speed, km/h
-at altitude: 2300 (M=2.17)
-at the ground: 1400
Practical range, km
-at low altitude: 750
-at high altitude: 1650
-at high altitude with PTB: 3000
-with one refueling: 5700
Max. rate of climb, m/min: 18000
Practical ceiling, m: 17000
Run length, m: 110-195
Run length, m: 150-300
Operating overload: 8.5
Crew, persons: 1
Armament: 30-mm GSh-301 cannon (ammunition 150 rounds); combat load - 4500 kg on 9 hardpoints: medium-range air-to-air missiles R-27 and RVV-AE, short-range missiles R-73, anti-ship Kh-31A, anti-radar Kh-31P, air-to-surface missiles Kh-25ML , Kh-29T, Kh-29L, NUR, KAB with laser and television guidance, free-falling bombs and aircraft mines.
MiG-29K modifications
- MiG-29K (9-31)- carrier-based fighter (1988)
- MiG-29KU (9-62)- draft educational option.
- MiG-29KUB- combat training version.
Description
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The MiG-29 fighters in service with the Indian Air Force are called Baaz (Eagle) in this country. The program to strengthen the Indian Navy provides for the construction of a light aircraft carrier with a displacement of 20,000-24,000 tons. In addition to the creation of a new ship, negotiations have been underway for several years on the purchase in Russia of the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, on which the Yak-38 VTOL aircraft, removed in 1992, were based in the past. weapons. The modernized Admiral Gorshkov should be equipped with a continuous flight deck and a springboard in the bow for aircraft take-off. It is planned to use fighters with horizontal take-off from a springboard and aero-finishing landing as weapons for the updated ship. Taking into account the small size of the Admiral Gorshkov and the capacity of its below-deck hangar, the Russian side offered India a deck version of the MiG-29K.
The decision to develop it was made back in 1981, when accelerated testing of the MiG-29 front-line fighter was underway. On August 21, 1982, the MiG-29 took off for the first time from a ground jump at the Nitka training complex in Crimea. In 1983, almost simultaneously with the laying of the TAKR Project 1143.5 (later Admiral of the Fleet Kuznetsov), work began on the creation of a ship version of the MiG-29.
The terms of reference provided for the creation of a full-fledged multi-role fighter capable of performing a wide range of combat missions.
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Work on the creation of the MiG-29K (factory index "9-31") was carried out under the leadership of General Designer R.A. Belyakov and Chief Designer M.R. Waldenberg. The deck version of the MiG-29 was created in parallel with the development of the MiG-29M, a multi-role Air Force fighter, which ensured the implementation of a number of unified technical solutions in their design. In the airframes of both aircraft, the use of composite materials (CM) was significantly expanded, additional fuel was placed in place of the upper air intake, and special grilles were installed in the air intake channels to protect the engines.
At the same time, the deck version had differences from its land counterpart. The wing had a folding unit in the middle of its span, the central tank and the power compartment of the fuselage were significantly strengthened, to which the brake hook and main landing gear were attached.
Taking into account the high vertical landing speeds on an aircraft carrier, the landing gear elements were modified and strengthened. To improve takeoff and landing characteristics, the wing area increased from 38 to 42 square meters. m, the wing mechanization was also improved, the area of the slats, double-slotted flaps and ailerons was increased. The area of the vertical and horizontal tail surfaces was increased.
When developing the deck-based vehicle, much attention was paid to corrosion protection; marine requirements for materials, coatings, and fuselage sealing were also taken into account.
The controlled nose landing gear, in addition to being strengthened, began to rotate 90° to increase the maneuverability of the aircraft when taxiing on a deck of limited dimensions. A special three-color indicator was installed on it, the lights of which informed the landing director about the position of the aircraft on the descent glide path.
The fuel capacity was 5670 liters, the MiG-29K was equipped with an in-flight refueling system.
The aircraft was equipped with improved RD-33K engines with afterburner thrust up to 8800 kg; for take-off from a ship, an emergency mode (ER) was provided, in which the thrust briefly increased to 9400 kg.
The new aircraft's weapons control system, which included the Zhuk radar, ensured the use of not only air-to-air missiles, but also air-to-surface guided weapons. It automatically detected and tracked up to ten targets and ensured the launch of guided missiles against four targets.
The MiG-29K's armament included eight variants of missile weapons for air combat and 25 variants of weapons for operations against ground and surface targets. The maximum weight of the combat load was 4500 kg.
On April 19, 1988, the first aircraft to receive tail number 311 (i.e. aircraft 9-31/1) was delivered to the airfield and on June 23, 1988, test pilot T. Aubakirov took it into the air. After 33 test flights, the MiG-29K was transported to Crimea, where during training on the Nitka, the fighter’s suitability for flights from a ship was confirmed.
November 1, 1989 is a historic day in the history of the Russian fleet and aviation, a MiG-29K, piloted by T. Aubakirov, landed on the deck of an aircraft carrier after the Su-27K, and on the same day he lifted his MiG from the ship’s springboard.
In September 1990, the second prototype aircraft, No. 312, entered testing. The last flights of the experimental MiG-29K took place in 1992. And although a conclusion was received from the Russian Ministry of Defense recommending it for mass production, this did not happen. In 1992, a decision was made to stop purchasing the MiG-29 for the Russian Air Force, which also affected the fate of the MiG-29K.
However, this aircraft may be in demand right now. The versatility of the MiG-29K, a successful test cycle, provides a good chance for the revival of this program, taking into account the need of the Indian Navy for an aircraft of this class.
During tests on the Admiral Kuznetsov, the fighter took off from a ski-jump at distances of 195 and 95 m. The accuracy of landing on the aerofinisher cables turned out to be extremely high, which has now made it possible to switch to a system of three cables on the modernized Admiral Gorshkov.
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The updated MiG-29K will have more advanced avionics, which were tested on the MiG-29SMT and received high praise from both Russian and Indian pilots.
The intelligence of on-board equipment computing systems and weapons control systems will increase. Both the Russian and Indian sides agreed that all systems, including weapons, should be Russian. Based on the experience of cooperation in modernizing the MiG-21 into the 21-93 model, it is also planned to introduce Indian-made avionics. The experience of such assistance will have a positive impact on the time frame for upgrading the MiG-29K. This will be facilitated by exactly the same cooperation between Russian enterprises as in the MiG-21-93 program.
By reducing the weight and volume of the equipment, the internal fuel supply will be increased compared to the MiG-29K of the 1991 model. As a result, when operating from an aircraft carrier, the aircraft will have a range of 850 km for air combat and 1,150 km for strike operations (without refueling). The aircraft's armament will include RVV-AE (R-77) air-to-air missiles, various versions of the R-27, R-73 missiles, as well as anti-ship Kh-31A and Kh-35, television- and laser-guided weapons.
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The introduction of automatic engine thrust will improve the accuracy of landing on an aircraft carrier. Take-off characteristics allow approximately 90% of flights in tropical conditions when the aircraft carrier moves at 10 knots.
The RD-33 Series III engine is a record holder for service life and reliability among Russian engines; it will have a high-thrust take-off mode and additional anti-corrosion protection.
To reduce the overall characteristics when based on a ship, the wing folding unit was moved closer to the center section, by 1 m on each wing, as a result, the folded wing span from 7.8 m on the MiG-29K will be 5.8 m on the modernized aircraft. The horizontal tail will also fold.
A two-seat combat training version of the MiG-29K is also being developed, which is called the MiG-29KUB. It is developed taking into account technical unification, the same dimensions, weight characteristics, the same equipment. Unlike the previously existing MiG-29KU project, where the pilots were located in separate cockpits, like on the MiG-25PU, and there was no radar, the MiG-29KUB will have a standard radar, and the pilots will be placed in the cockpit under a single canopy - one after another . As a result, the gargrot behind the cabin will become higher, which will accommodate a sufficient amount of fuel.
On the basis of the MiG-29KUB, variants for reconnaissance and target designation, jamming, and a tanker may be created in the future.
See also
- MiG-29K
- Naval aviation
At the end of 2015, the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSC) MiG completed a state order for the supply of 24 MiG-29K/KUB aircraft to the naval aviation of the Navy. In 2016, MiG plans to complete a large contract for the supply of similar aircraft to the Indian Navy. It is expected that promising Indian and Russian aircraft carriers will also be equipped with the MiG-29K/KUB.
Until now, the domestic naval aviation had only one formation of carrier-based aviation - the 279th separate naval fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet. It is armed with carrier-based Su-33 aircraft, as well as Su-25UTG trainers. This particular regiment is the air wing of the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.
From May to August 2015, the flagship of the Russian Navy, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, underwent repairs at a plant in Roslyakovo, Murmansk region. In October, the ship began scheduled combat training tasks in the Barents Sea.
Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Russian Navy "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov"
In September-October 2016, the Admiral Kuznetsov will enter the Mediterranean Sea, where it will lead a permanent group of ships of the Russian Navy. The cruiser will carry on board a mixed air group of carrier-based aircraft Su-33, Su-25UTG and MiG-29K. In the months remaining before the start of the voyage, the aircraft crews will hone their skills in taking off and landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier at ground-based test training complexes in Saki and Yeysk.
Shipborne MiG
The single-seat MiG-29K and the double-seat MiG-29KUB are multifunctional fighters of the 4++ generation, designed to solve not only air defense tasks of ship formations, like carrier-based fighters previously developed in Russia, but also to gain air supremacy, destroy surface and ground targets with controlled precision weapons day and night in all weather conditions.
The MiG-29K/KUB ship-based fighters are the basic aircraft of a new unified family, which also includes the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-35/MiG-35D fighters.
The initial customer for the MiG-29K/KUB was the Indian Navy. Based on the results of the competition, they selected Russian “decks” to man the air wing of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, as well as the promising Indian-built aircraft carrier Vikrant.
On January 20, 2004, India signed a $730 million contract for the development and supply of 16 carrier-based fighters (12 MiG-29K and 4 MiG-29KUB). This agreement was successfully implemented in 2011. But even before this, on March 12, 2010, the parties signed a second contract worth $1.2 billion for the supply of another 29 MiG-29K by the end of 2016. The second operator of the aircraft was the Russian Navy: in February 2012, a contract was signed for the supply of 20 MiG-29K and 4 MiG-29KUB naval aviation to the Russian Navy by the end of 2015.
Model of the aircraft carrier Project 23000 "Storm" The first public demonstration of the MiG-29K, updated for the Russian fleet, took place in June 2015 in Kubinka at the Army-2015 forum. At the same forum, a model of the promising Russian aircraft carrier “Storm” was shown.
According to the Nevsky Design Bureau, which developed the project, “the Storm air group will consist of carrier-based MiG-29K fighters, as well as PAK FA T-50 and long-range radar detection aircraft.”
Pilots about MiG‑29K/KUB
The pilots who tested the MiG-29K/KUB highly appreciated its characteristics. They prefer to talk about the MiG-29K/KUB not as a variant of the MiG-29, but as a completely new aircraft.
“A modern multifunctional aircraft with qualitatively new combat capabilities has been created,” says Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation, Hero of the Russian Federation, General Director of the Flight Research Institute. M. M. Gromova Pavel Vlasov. - The payload has increased. The range of weapons has expanded. This, of course, led to an increase in mass.
However, a set of new solutions, such as Kruger flaps, a new flap design, and a modern remote control system, made it possible to neutralize negative factors and significantly improve piloting conditions for the pilot.” According to Vlasov, the aircraft's performance characteristics have improved. The “pilot-plane” interface has been improved, making it more user-friendly. Information support for the crew has expanded significantly. Improving the accuracy of navigation equipment has provided new capabilities, such as approaches to landing using satellite systems. New solutions made work easier at the stage of flight testing and ensured their smoothness.
“On landing, the compact MiG-29K with a digital fly-by-wire control system behaves more dynamically than the Su-33 with an analogue one,” says Nikolai Diorditsa, Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation, Hero of the Russian Federation, test pilot of RSK MiG. - And on takeoff too, due to better thrust-to-weight ratio. On the MiG-29K/KUB it is easier to maintain the direction of the take-off run; the aircraft leaves the ski-jump with sufficient controllability margins.”
Indian version
Today, the Indian Navy has the largest fleet of ship-borne MiGs. According to Sergei Korotkov, General Director of RSK MiG, six MiG-29K carrier-based fighters will be delivered to India in 2016. Thus, the 2010 contract will be completed.
By this time, India will have 45 MiG-29K/KUB. They will be organized into three squadrons, two of which will be deployed on the aircraft carriers Vikramaditya and Vikrant, and the third will be used for training pilots on land. The first of these units, the 303rd Black Panthers Squadron, was formed in May 2013 at the Indian Naval Air Base Hansa (Goa). The squadron is armed with 12 MiG-29K and 4 MiG-29KUB (all delivered under the first contract of 2004). She is included in the air group of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, part of the Western Fleet of India. This ship, built by Russia on the basis of the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov, has a total displacement of 45.5 thousand tons and is capable of carrying up to 24 MiG-29K class aircraft.
According to the official statement of the Indian Navy, as of March 2015, “the MiG-29K squadron had flown more than 2,500 hours and successfully tested the entire range of aircraft weapons, including air-to-surface and air-to-air guided missiles, bombs, unguided rockets and cannon." Planes took off and landed both at a ground airfield and on an aircraft carrier. The report also states that “the aircraft undergoing testing also participated in important exercises of the Indian Navy and Air Force.”
In the summer of 2015, the formation of the second MiG squadron began on the eastern coast of Hindustan, at the Dega base (Andhra Pradesh state). However, the ship for this squadron is late: according to official reports, the aircraft carrier Vikrant (also known as “Project 71”), being built by India, will enter service no earlier than December 2018. It will have a slightly smaller total displacement than Vikramaditya - 40 thousand tons, but is also designed to accommodate up to 24 MiG-29K class aircraft.
The Indian Navy plans to deploy another MiG-29K squadron at the Kadamba base (Karnataka). Apparently, it will serve to train pilots. At the same time, in June 2015, the MiG-29K simulator supplied by RSK MiG was put into operation at the Institute of Aviation Technology of the Indian Navy in Kochi (Kerala). “The simulator allows training of flight and maintenance personnel, demonstrating the operation of all aircraft systems and associated maintenance,” said Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, head of the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.
To ensure the operation of MiGs, a maintenance center is being created in India. “The premises have been built, we are bringing there the equipment promised under the offset contract, which was concluded at the MAKS 2013 salon. Indian specialists are being trained and direct repairs of units and assemblies will soon begin in this service center,” said the head of the MiG corporation, Sergei Korotkov.
In addition, to expand the capabilities of the aircraft, tests are being carried out and new equipment is being created. At the beginning of 2015, as the Indian press reported, at the request of the Indian Navy, landing of the MiG-29K on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov with one of the two engines running was carried out. “The MiG-29K/KUB is a wonderful aircraft, equipped with very powerful engines,” The Hindu newspaper quotes an unnamed Indian military man. “To allay the fears of our pilots, we asked RSK MiG to confirm the possibility of landing the MiG-29K on one engine.”
At the MAKS-2015 air show, the PAZ-MK suspended refueling unit for the MiG-29K/KUB, created by order of the Indian Navy, was demonstrated for the first time. Taking into account the restrictions on the take-off weight of the aircraft, dictated by the length of the aircraft carrier's runway, the PAZ-MK unit will make it possible to refuel the MiG-29K already in the air, thereby expanding its range.
Assuming both carriers are fully loaded, India will need at least 48 carrier-based fighters and at least one squadron for land-based training. “Whether an air group will be formed for the Project 71 aircraft carrier from among the contracted and delivered equipment or whether there will be additional requests - this issue is within the competence of the Indian side,” said Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport Igor Sevastyanov.
Following the Vikrant, India plans to commission a new aircraft carrier Vishal by 2025 with a total displacement of 65 thousand tons and with a nuclear power plant. There is no decision on the air wing for it yet.
MiG-29K(NATO classification: Fulcrum-D) is a Russian multi-role carrier-based fighter developed by the MiG Design Bureau in the late 1980s.
History of the MiG-29K
In the early 1970s, the USSR Navy and the military-industrial complex began creating naval aviation groups, the core of which was to become full-fledged large aircraft carriers equipped with an effective air group. The mixed aircraft carrier group was to be represented by aircraft and the An-71 (a ship-based version of the AWACS based on the An-72), as well as a promising torpedo bomber.
However, the time frame for creating the aircraft-carrying cruiser itself was constantly stretched out and, as it turned out, by the time the aircraft carrier appeared, the aircraft of its air group would already be outdated. Therefore, it was decided to create ship versions of the latest Soviet fighters and.
The MiG-29 was assigned the role of a multifunctional fighter, which was supposed to ensure air superiority and, at the same time, perform the functions of attack aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft. In this form, the MiG-29K became a direct competitor to the ship's one.
The aircraft concept has been in development since 1978 after the first MiG-29 took off and proved its promise. One of the experimental MiG-29s was converted into a technology demonstrator and systems were tested on it, including on an aircraft carrier deck simulator - the NITKA complex in Crimea. Already in 1989, the MiG-29LL made its first takeoff and landing on an aircraft carrier.
However, in the early 1990s, the collapse of the USSR and a sharp decline in government orders had a negative impact on the project. The MiG-29K was not yet ready for mass production, so the military had to abandon this project in favor of the Su-27K (future). The MiG-29K program, like many other MiG projects, was closed.
It was only in the 2000s that the project was reopened when the Indian Navy bought the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov from Russia. The ship was refitted and joined the Indian fleet under the name Vikramaditya. By this time, the Su-33 was no longer produced, and the Indian military needed a more multifunctional and lighter aircraft. The MiG-29K was the ideal option.
In 2004, a contract was signed for 16 carrier-based fighters. An option was also provided for another 30 cars in the future. By the end of the 2000s, MiG created 2 new naval fighters: the basic “K” and the two-seat “KUB”. Technologically, these aircraft are far from the original design and are unified with the latest MiG-35.
Video recording of MiG-29 fighters from the deck of an aircraft carrier
MiG-29K design
The MiG-29K, like the MiG-29KUB, are carrier-based fighters. These are multifunctional all-weather fighters of generation 4+.
They have a number of differences from the basic MiG-29:
- improved anti-corrosion protection of the airframe
- The landing gear has been strengthened, and the front strut mechanism has been completely rebuilt to suit operating conditions from the ship's deck.
- the airframe is strengthened, the share of composite materials is increased to 15%, the wing mechanization is more complex to improve takeoff and landing characteristics, the wing consoles are folding
- the aircraft's fuel capacity has been increased and an in-flight refueling system has been installed
- new coatings and technological solutions reduce radar signature
- The aircraft is equipped with a Zhuk-ME radar complex, RD-33MK engines, a new EDSU complex and open-architecture avionics.
The MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB are armed with R-73E, RVV-AE guided missiles, as well as Kh-31A and Kh-35 anti-ship missiles. Kh-31P anti-radar missiles and KAB-500Kr aerial bombs can also be used.
Modifications
- MiG-29K (9-31) is a basic naval fighter created in the 1980s.
- MiG-29K (9-41) is a new aircraft created in the early 2000s and put into mass production.
- The MiG-29KUB is a two-seat fighter created on the basis of the 9-41 product.
A special place in the MiG-29 family is occupied by a ship-based aircraft, intended to solve air defense tasks of ship formations, gain air superiority, and engage surface and ground targets with high-precision weapons at any time of the day and in the most unfavorable weather conditions. The government decree on the construction of a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of Project 1145.5 was signed on May 7, 1982. With the same document, the Moscow Metallurgical Plant named after A.I. Mikoyan and P.O. Sukhoi was tasked with developing technical proposals for short takeoff and landing aircraft for deployment on the cruiser.
In the summer of 1982, an experimental complex “Nitka” was built in Crimea with a T-1 springboard 5 m high, 60 m long and 30 m wide (vanishing angle 8.5 degrees). To conduct flight research on it, in addition to the Su-27 (TYu-Z) aircraft, the seventh flight prototype of the MiG-29 (No. 918) was also involved.
The first take-off from a ski-jump on a MiG-29 was carried out by OKB test pilot A.G. Fastovets August 21, 1982.
The first landings using the Svetlana-2 aerofinisher were performed in 1983 on MiG-27 No. 603 by LII test pilots A.V. Krugov and S.N. Tresvyatsky. In the summer of the same year, the MiG-29 No. 918 was also equipped with a brake hook.
The development of a carrier-based aircraft based on the MiG-29M began in accordance with a government decree signed on January 30, 1984. The main task facing the aircraft was the defense of Navy ships from enemy air in the near zone, and the secondary ones were the fight against surface ships with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons and ensuring landings.
The deck-based MiG-29K differed from its land-based counterparts, in particular, in its folding wing consoles, reinforced landing gear, the absence of an upper air intake entrance and a brake hook in the rear of the hull. Since the car was noticeably heavier compared to its predecessor, and take-off from the deck of an aircraft carrier took place using a springboard, it was necessary to boost the engines by introducing an emergency thrust mode - 9400 kgf. In this case, its thrust-to-weight ratio, depending on the take-off weight, varied from 1.05 to 0.8. To increase safety in the event of a pilot ejecting from the deck of an aircraft carrier, on which, as is known, the “island” (superstructure for command personnel) is located, the flight path of the seat (K-36D-3.5) with the pilot passes to the left with an angle of 30 degrees to the vertical.
The vehicle's armament, in addition to the cannon and unguided projectiles suspended on nine nodes, included R-73, K-27T and K-27R missiles, as well as Kh-31A/P and adjustable bombs.
The first flight of the MiG-29K (product "9-31", tail number 311) took place on July 23, 1988, and the second (no. 912) - in October 1990. In 1988, test pilot T.O. Aubakirov began flying the MiG-29LL flying laboratory on the Nitka ground simulator. Then pilots from the Air Force Research Institute V. Kondaurov and A. Lavrikov joined the tests.
A year and a half later, on November 1, 1989, test pilot of OKB T.O. Aubakirov on MiG-29 No. 311, following the Su-27K, made the first landing and an hour and a half later took off (takeoff 180 m) from the deck of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.
The operation of the MiG-29K (13 landings were made) from the deck of an aircraft-carrying cruiser had its own characteristics. The take-off was carried out after a short take-off run from the springboard, and the landing was carried out using the Luna-3 optical system (OSP), reminiscent of a traffic light, but unlike it with lights located horizontally.
Taking off from a springboard had its limitations on the speed of descent from it - no less than 160 km/h, due to downward sag, and no more than 180 km/h - on compression of the front landing gear when the air pressure receiver (APR) located on the fairing The radar could have hit the hill.
Until the end of the summer of 1992, two copies of the MiG-29K made over 80 landings on the cruiser’s deck.
The MiG-29K passed the tests and was recommended for mass production, but circumstances were such that priority was given to the Su-27K aircraft, which was the first to land on the deck of the ship. After this, the aircraft entertained the public for some time at various air shows and was displayed in parking lots. For the same reason, it was not possible to implement the project for a two-seat trainer version of the MiG-29KU.
To improve the instructor's visibility on the MiG-29KU, the cockpits were designed to be separate (by analogy with the MiG-25PU/RU training machines), and the seat in the rear cockpit had to be installed higher than the front one. Therefore, it was necessary to change the contours of the nose and the design of the supporting body of the vehicle. However, due to the cessation of work on the MiG-29K, detailed design of the twin was not carried out.
It seemed that the two built vehicles were destined for the fate of museum exhibits, but suddenly an Indian order appeared on the horizon to convert the former aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Gorshkov into the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier with a ski-jump, designed for 24 aircraft. By the way, not only the MiG-29K took off from the springboard, but also an ordinary land fighter. True, these studies were carried out with the aim of reducing its takeoff run in the event of runway damage.
A comprehensive contract for the supply of multirole ship-based fighter aircraft to the Indian Navy was signed by RSK MiG on January 20, 2004. The contract provides for the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29K and 4 double-seat MiG-29KUB, training of pilots and technical personnel, supply of simulators, spare parts and organization of aircraft maintenance. The contract also provides for an option for another 30 vehicles with a delivery date until 2015.
Seven years after the cessation of MiG-29K flights from the aircraft-carrying cruiser, aircraft No. 311 and No. 312 were reactivated and used to work under the Indian program. N.N. was appointed chief designer of the updated machine. Buntina.
The tasks facing the carrier-based aircraft remain the same. Although the name of the aircraft (in the OKB it was designated product “9-41”) remained the same, it became completely different. First of all, its avionics and radio equipment have undergone significant changes, including the PJ1C Zhuk-ME, largely borrowed from the MiG-29SMT. The MiG-29K/KUB avionics are built on the principle of open architecture based on the MIL-STD-1553B standard. At the same time, some of the equipment used was made in India and France.
A digital fly-by-wire aircraft control system with quadruple redundancy is used.
At the same time, the airframe was improved, increasing the proportion of composite materials to 15%, and significantly reduced visibility in the radar range.
On the left side of the aircraft in front of the pilot's cabin, a module of the in-flight refueling system was preserved. At the same time, the aircraft, using a removable fuel refueling unit PAZ-1MK, can be used to refuel other MiG-29Ks in flight.
The power plant used was the RD-ZZMK engine, created on the basis of the RD-33 3rd series, but with maximum thrust increased to 5400 kgf, and in full afterburner mode - up to 9000 kgf. Thanks to the overhead tank and overflow tanks
the center section increased by more than 16% and the fuel supply increased. In addition, the volume of the ventral tank was increased to 2150 liters, and under the wing it is now possible to hang not two, but four PTBs.
And another innovation aimed at increasing reliability was a new box of aircraft components. Now, if one of the generators or hydraulic pumps fails, its functions will be performed by the other.
The weapons are exclusively Russian-made. These are primarily air-to-air guided missiles RVV-AE and R-73E, anti-ship Kh-31A and anti-radar Kh-31P. The aircraft's arsenal also includes unguided missiles and aerial bombs, both ballistic and adjustable.
To train Navy pilots, a two-seat ship-based combat training aircraft MiG-29KUB (product “9-62”) was built. The MiG-29K/KUB is equipped with a modern multi-channel optical location station and a target designation system for passive homing heads of anti-radar missiles. It is possible to install containers with infrared and laser sighting equipment on the aircraft to illuminate ground targets. The open architecture of the avionics makes it possible to install new equipment and weapons of Russian and foreign production on the aircraft.
Flight tests of individual systems and components of the MiG-29K/KUB have been conducted since 2002. For this purpose, nine MiG-29 of various modifications are used, on which over 700 flights were carried out in 2002-2006. During the flight tests, the calculated flight performance data of the aircraft was confirmed. In particular, takeoff and landing characteristics have significantly improved, which is especially important for ship-based aircraft.
Flight tests of the pre-production MiG-29KUB began in January 2007. But only five months later, on June 25, Deputy General Director - General Designer of RSK MiG for flight work - Head of the Flight Test Center named after. A.V. Fedotova Hero of Russia P.N. Vlasov performed the first flight on it.
In terms of combat capabilities, flight and operational characteristics, the MiG-29K/KUB is significantly superior to its predecessor, which was tested on an aircraft-carrying cruiser in 1991. The flight life of the MiG-29K/KUB has been more than doubled, and the cost of a flight hour has been reduced by almost 2.5 times.
In September 2009, test pilots of RSK MiG M. Belyaev, P. Vlasov, N. Diordnitsa and Colonel O. Spichka (GLITs Air Force) tested the MiG-29K (prototype No. 941) and MiG-29KUB (one of the first serial ones - No. 672, painted in the customer’s colors) on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union N.G. Kuznetsov" located in the Barents Sea.
The first landing on board the Admiral Kuznetsov was performed by P. Vlasov on a single-seat MiG-29K, and less than half an hour later the wheels of the MiG-29KUB, piloted by N. Diordnitsa and M. Belyaev, touched the deck of the aircraft-carrying cruiser.
In early December, the first batch of six MiG-29K/KUB arrived in India and on February 19, 2010, a ceremony took place at the Hansa Naval Base in the province of Goa. Until the delivery of the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to India, carrier-based fighters will be operated on land, in the newly created 303rd Air Squadron, called the Black Panthers.
It seems that the cars made a good impression on the Indians, and they announced their intention to purchase another batch of 29 MiG-29Ks from Russia.
The successful modernization of the ship version of the MiG-29 and the creation of its two-seat version once again attracted the attention of the Russian Navy command to this machine, which is capable of ending the monopoly of the Su-33.
In January 2010, it was reported that the Russian Navy plans to purchase several MiG-29K ship-based fighters this year for deployment on the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov. In total, 24 MiGs are expected to be acquired in the next three to four years, which will complement the current fleet of Su-33s, the service life of which expires in 2015, although it is planned to extend it until 2025.
In April, it was reported that the Russian Navy in 2010-2012 will buy 26 MiG-29K carrier-based fighters, which will be based on the aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov. According to the Navy's plans, two fighters will be purchased in 2010, and the rest will arrive in several batches in 2011 and 2012.
As for India, during the visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to this country in March 2010, a contract was signed for the purchase of 29 MiG-29K/KUB with the start of deliveries in 2012.
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