MiG-29 Lastochka

History

Developed at around the same time as the Su-27, the @MiG-29 Lastochka is the culmination of the lessons learned from the previous MiG-23 Cheburashka and MiG-27 Aligatori. As part of a new generation of Soviet TSFs, the MiG-29 is intended to fulfill the role of a lightweight TSF while fighting alongside the Su-27, which will cover more punishing roles that demand longer staying power in the battlefield. Its overall combat range is lacking, but the MiG-29 is cheaper to maintain, and has been noted to have comparable performance to the @F-16 Fighting Falcon/@F-18 Hornet in combat.

Some aspects of its design are drawn from its comrade craft, the Su-27 Zhuravlik; shoulder-block Blade Vanes and forearms installed with Blade Motors are part of the MiG-29's high-mobility-centric melee armaments, replacing the @Close Combat Daggers used in earlier MiG models. The MiG-29 has its own surprise; Large Blade Motors have been installed in its legs, allowing the MiG-29 to easily cut down BETA in close combat utilizing all four of its limbs.

Its small size has seen the MiG-29 deployed to quell insurgents, especially in urban conditions. In this aspect, the Lastochka is equipped with several measures; its on-board computer, coupled with its advanced avionics which were originally developed for detecting shots from Laser-class, allows the MiG-29 to perform trajectory prediction of slow-moving projectiles, such as surface-to-air rocket salvos, and react with a variety of countermeasures, including activating its active protection systems, or even repositioning its limbs and body frame to deflect shots.

During prototype development, the MiG-29, then known as the "Project 9.12", was nearly cancelled due to overwhelming support for the Su-27 Zhuravlik, had the Sufoni prototype not run into development troubles. Rumors abound that it was developed with the aid of stolen tactical data from the USA's YF-16/YF-17.

Deployment

The @MiG-29 Lastochka was initially deployed to the Far East and Kamchatka regions in support of the Su-27 at the Far East Defence Line; at that time, the Hi-Low Mix concept was in full swing, resulting in the Soviet Union operating both TSFs side by side. Apart from frontline combat, the MiG-29 has also found use in anti-insurgency operations, being used to bait, then suppress enemy anti-armor capabilities, as well as providing unmatched firepower in urban combat. Then 2nd Lieutenant Jerzy Sandek, who would eventually become Idol Test Flight's commander, was once a pilot in this role, suppressing an uprising in Soviet-administrated Western @Alaska on the 10th of November, 1998.

In recent times, the lightweight fighter's high-end capabilities have become more popular with foreign nations, an example being the Nationale Volksarmee of East Germany.

A battalion of MiG-29s were assigned to the @United Nations 11th Security Force Unit Feniks of @Yukon Base, which were subsequently hijacked and used by the @Refugee Liberation Front (RLF) on the 21st of September, 2001, during the Yukon Base Incident. Most of these MiG-29s were engaged by Argos, Idol, and the Infinities Test Flights, and were destroyed in combat.

Variants

MiG-29M2 Vermilion Sword

A refurbishment of the MiG-29, continued by a group of developers within Mikoyam-Guluvich who were unhappy with the MiG-29's role of playing second fiddle to the Su-27, the loss of the MiG-29M to the Su-27M2, and the outside intervention present in the MiG-29OVT Fulcrum project.

The Vermilion Sword lacks the hip thrusters of the MiG-29OVT variant, but mounts additional battery packs on its hip block sections to extend the MiG-29's low operational uptime. Retrofits to the main engines used within the Jump Units and the addition of non-movable vertical stabilizers to the jump unit overall design has yielded a 30% increase in the MiG-29M2's three-dimensional combat performance. The @Assault Cannon model used by it has elongated barrels compared to the standard A-97, and has been independently modified for greater performance.

The greatest changes to the MiG-29's base design were the addition of a new sensor mast to its head, enlarging its side head fins and shoulder Blade Vanes, the implementation of toe spikes in its foot design, as well as the use of special ceramic blades, positioned near its elbows, and tied to an "Ultra-Vibration System" housed within its forearms. The blades have ultra-high-speed vibrations passed through them during operation, giving them excellent anti-armor capabilities. Its namesake, Vermilion Sword, comes from the color the blades take on due to the light and heat generation during operation.

While little is known about the deployment history of the MiG-29M2, its resemblance to the @Su-47 Berkut in both shape and color is not wholly coincidental, due to the intense rivalry between the Mikoyam Guluvich and Sufoni Design Bureaus. However, while the Su-47 was still at @Yukon Base undergoing testing, numerous black-colored units were seen engaging in independent warfare around @The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)'s war zones; it was never confirmed if those were, indeed, MiG-29M2s.

MiG-29OVT Fulcrum

An improvement upon the base MiG-29 born from a formal technology-sharing partnership with the US via Project PROMINENCE, the MiG-29OVT can be considered the rival of the F-15 ACTV in terms of combat roles. Various upgrades have been applied to it, which include enlarged and refurbished jump units to provide greater thrust, improved avionics and internal components (including Operation By Light), resulting in a 5% increase in operating time, and changing the design of the shoulder blade vanes.

Shoulder and hip block thrusters have been added into the design as well, giving the Fulcrum far greater mobility than the base MiG-29. Its powerful movements and excellent maneuverability has earned it the name of the "Eagle of the East" by its users, who have also praised its performance as being up to 3rd generation standards. As it was a collaborative effort with foreign nations, the unit was named according to NATO standards instead. There is currently no known Russian name applied to the MiG-29OVT.

Four MiG-29OVTs were operated by Kuper Flight of the Nationale Volksarmee, assigned to the Dover Base Group in early autumn, 2000, to cooperate with pilots from the JA44 Zerberus Batallion in culling operations at Brunsbüttel, northern Germany, on the @European mainland. Pilots from both sides noted the MiG-29OVT's tendency for brute-force and acute-angle maneuvering, which complemented its melee armaments extremely well.

Four more MiG-29OVTs were operated by Graf Test Flight of the Eastern European Socialist Alliance during the Blue Flag exercises in @Yukon Base in 2001. Those Fulcrums were later used by the @Refugee Liberation Front (RLF) and @Allegiance forces to engage Soviet and @United Nations troops during the Yukon Base Incident.