MiG-29 fighter jets have an advantage over F-16s on the battlefield in Ukraine

At the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said President Biden had agreed to let Western allies provide Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, including US-made F-16s. Experts expect these fighters could turn the balance of power on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Meanwhile, the MiG-29 is considered to be equivalent to the F-16. At the end of March, Kiev was given the green light to buy used Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters from Slovakia and Poland. This is a twin-engine aircraft that entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983. Along with the Sukhoi Su-27, the MiG-29 was developed to directly counter American fighters such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon or F-15 Eagle.

Cost is also an advantage of the MiG-29 over the F-16. According to EurAsianTimes, 10 F-16s will cost a billion USD in budget plus another billion USD in maintenance costs.

MiG-29 variants feature advanced fly-by-wire controls, the latest avionics and multi-mission capabilities. The most advanced version is the MiG-35. There are currently 30 countries operating variants of the MiG-29 in their militaries.

Observers estimate that Ukraine has about 15-20 MiG-29s, 20 Su-27s, and about 33 MiG-29s transferred from Slovakia and Poland. The Slovak version has NATO-compatible navigation and radio equipment, similar to the Ukrainian MiG-29MU1 variant. The Warsaw-based aircraft are significantly upgraded with modern transponders, GPS, and radar warning receivers, NATO-style radios, new avionics and cockpit displays, and a MIL-STD 1553 digital data transmission system.

Why does Ukraine still want F-16s?

Both aircraft have similar performance in most previously documented cases. Although the standard MiG-29 does not have fly-by-wire, it still ensures maneuverability and agility.

Western pilots consider the MiG-29's most impressive ability to be its low-speed maneuverability, combined with a helmet-mounted sight and missiles capable of "steering" in the air.

Ukraine limits the use of weapons of Soviet origin due to concerns about technological "prediction".

According to German pilots who have trained in combat operations with this type of aircraft, the MiG-29 scores highly in terms of energy maneuverability and has an advantage in slow-speed close combat. Some even liken this aircraft to being able to turn around and fight “in a telephone booth”.

Meanwhile, the F-16 has the advantage of speeds above 200 knots (~230 mph), is smaller, and does not leave an exhaust trail like the MiG-29. Previously, Russian air weapons were considered superior, but since the collapse of the Soviet Union, some production plants have moved to Soviet republics, and a lack of funding has slowed the development of the MiG-29.

For Ukraine, they still want to receive Western F-16s instead of using Soviet-origin fighters. Besides the factor of NATO weapon compatibility and spare parts, the issue of technological secrecy also plays a significant role.

For example, the MiG-29s sent to Kiev by Slovakia were said to be “flyable but not combat-capable.” The Slovakian Defense Minister explained that the reason could be that Russian technicians had tampered with some parts while performing maintenance and upgrades on the aircraft at Sliac Air Base in late 2022.

General Lubomir Svoboda, of the Slovakian Air Force, said that even the country's technical staff did not fully understand the MiG-29 aircraft, so they needed direct support from Russian experts during the maintenance process.

(According to EurAsian Times)

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