Posted on 11/03/2009 6:12:43 AM PST by myknowledge
Malaysia admitted that it is getting rid of its MiG-29 fighters because the aircraft are too expensive to maintain. It costs about $5 million a year, per aircraft, to keep them in flying condition. Three years ago, Malaysia bought two more MiG-29s, in addition to the 18 it got in the 1990s. Two of those were lost due to accidents. Malaysia has since ordered 18 Su-30 fighters, and will apparently order more to replace the MiG-29s. Malaysia also bought eight F-18Ds in the 1990s, and is getting rid of those as well. Russia has offered better prices on maintenance contracts for new Su-30s, in addition to bargain (compared to U.S. planes) prices.
Most of the MiG-29s provided satisfactory service. Malaysia was long a users of U.S. aircraft, so they have been able to compare Russian and American warplanes. The Russian aircraft cost less than half as much as their American counterparts. The Malaysians find that an acceptable situation, even though they face better trained pilots flying F-16s in neighboring Singapore.
The MiG-29 entered Russian service in 1983, as the answer to the American F-16. Some 1,600 MiG-29s have been produced so far, with about 900 of them exported. The 22 ton aircraft is roughly comparable to the F-16, but it depends a lot on which version of either aircraft you are talking about. Russia is making a lot of money upgrading MiG-29s. Not just adding new electronics, but also making the airframe more robust. The MiG-29 was originally rated at 2,500 total flight hours. At that time (early 80s), Russia expected MiG-29s to fly about a hundred or so hours a year. India, for example, flew them at nearly twice that rate, as did Malaysia. So now Russia is offering to spiff up the airframe so that the aircraft can fly up to 4,000 hours, with more life extension upgrades promised. This won't be easy, as the MiG-29 has a history of unreliability and premature breakdowns (both mechanical and electronic).
Recently, Russia grounded all of its MiG-29s in order to check for structural flaws. Compared to Western aircraft, like the F-16, the MiG-29 is available for action about two thirds as much. While extending the life of the MiG-29 into the 2030s is theoretically possible, actually doing so will be real breakthrough in Russian aircraft capabilities. The Indians are going to take up the Russians on their upgrade offer. But the Malaysians are going to go with the more highly regarded Su-30. Malaysia expects to have all its MiG-29s out of service in about a year. If they can't be sold, they will simply be scrapped. Algeria, and several other nations, have turned down the MiG-29, which has acquired the reputation of being second rate and a loser.
Gulf war? Israeli wars?
When Singapore attacks Malaysia, we’ll find out.
I think the training level of the pilots was clearly decisive in both conflicts. In the Yom Kipper War, the Israelis had inferior aircraft and managed to overcome the Arab air forces, despite the element of surprise and numerical superiority being on the side of the Arabs.
I suspect the western aircraft is slightly superior, however if you gave Israeli pilots the Mig you would still have the same result.
Malaysian pilots are simply awful. I remember that in 1988, when I was living in Labuan, four A-4s were lost on ferry flights between Kuantan and Labuan.
The MiGs were built in the late '80s when they were originally ordered for the Iraqi Air Force (they originally ordered 137) but spiraling debt and the PGW halted their delivery. The jets languished inside a storage facility in snowy Siberia until the QJJ placed an order for 34 MiG-29s. The Fulcrums intended for Algeria were then refurbished and souped up to SMT standard (upgraded avionics, 440 gallon [2000 liter] spinal CFT, IFR probe,AA-11 and AA-12 compatibility).
This is where the Fulcrum saga between Russia, MiG and its customer Algeria and the QJJ started out.
The QJJ maintenance crews of the MiG-29SMTs found defects and minor structural faults that revealed telltale signs about the aircrafts' true age.
Mind you, the Algerian air force is highly familiar with the operating procedures of Russian built combat aircraft, having being equipped with them since the QJJ's founding in 1962, after its independence from France, with the Soviet Union's technical assistance.
They ultimately deduced that the MiGs were not new-build at all, but almost 20 years old, but covered up to make it 'look new', and reported the problem up the chain of command all the way to the Algerian defense ministry.
The Algerians then reported this problem back to MiG and decided to return the defective planes to Russia, in exchange for additional Su-30MKA Flankers (customized Su-30 variant for the QJJ, incorporating French-made Thales and SAGEM avionics). They are also currently negotiating for the purchase of ~40 Su-35BM Flankers.
A year or so ago there was a lively conversation o FR about the quality of Russian aircraft. Several argued we should be in awe of them(exaggeration noted). I think this gets us closer to the facts.
Why go for the higher sticker price when your pilots are going to splash them anyway? By the Yugo and hope it lasts until the first crash.
A little more training and a helluva lot of chutzpa. The Israeli pilots decided to win before the fight started.
That may not work every time, but you can't keep winning without it. It's something sorely lacking from some Americans and most of our leaders.
Funny how fighting for your very existence tends to help balance things out - that and maybe some of that Bible stuff.
Aggressiveness is a trait of successful fighter pilots, no doubt.
It’s been my impression that a lot of Arab pilots are drawn from privileged families, members of the nomenklatura. Discipline and training are very lax. They like to “joy ride” and don’t have any heart for a fight. The leaders don’t trust the mass of the population, they fear that a peasant’s son in the cockpit might get a notion to strafe the palace, so they prefer the status quo.
Besides, animosity towards Israel is the guiding rationale for their despotic regimes, if they eliminate Israel they won’t have any one to blame for their people’s problems. Since Israel doesn’t threaten their existence or privileged lifestyle they don’t want to upset the applecart. The Shah (a non-Arab) was a “change agent”, a modernizer, not an anti-Semite and look where that got him.
The Israeli Air Force (IDF/AF) had superior aircraft to the air forces of Israel's Arab neighbors.
The McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II (Kurnass) was their most advanced fighter at the time.
Operation Nickel Grass, initiated by the Nixon administration, supplied up to 40 ex-USAF F-4Es to the IDF/AF as attrition replacements.
This article is highlighting the MiG-29 as a fading shadow of its former self.
I know they had some F4’s, but the backbone of the IAF was older Mirage IIIc and home made fighters. They were mating nuclear weapons to F4’s in clearly detectable ways that was meant to send a message to Nixon. He got the point. The alternative to Nickel Grass may have been an incinerated Damascus and Cairo.
On the right course. They had the IAI Nesher, an unlicensed Israeli built variant of the French Dassault Mirage V, originally ordered by Israel but embargoed by Charles de Gaulle following the Six Day War. The money was refunded and the Mirages were eventually commissioned into AdA service.
Israeli Mossad agents took covert photographs of the blueprints of the Mirage V and its SNECMA Atar 9C turbojet with mini cameras and took them back to Israel.
IAI Nesher.
The easiest way to trash a MiG-29?
Put an AMRAAM up it’s tailpipe!
The MiG-29 entered Russian service in 1983, as the answer to the American F-16. Some 1,600 MiG-29s have been produced so far, with about 900 of them exported. The 22 ton aircraft is roughly comparable to the F-16, but it depends a lot on which version of either aircraft you are talking about. Russia is making a lot of money upgrading MiG-29s. Not just adding new electronics, but also making the airframe more robust. The MiG-29 was originally rated at 2,500 total flight hours. At that time (early 80s), Russia expected MiG-29s to fly about a hundred or so hours a year. India, for example, flew them at nearly twice that rate, as did Malaysia. So now Russia is offering to spiff up the airframe so that the aircraft can fly up to 4,000 hours, with more life extension upgrades promised. This won't be easy, as the MiG-29 has a history of unreliability and premature breakdowns (both mechanical and electronic).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.