Best thing about Mig-29, Is its short takeoff and thrust to weight ratio. The engine power could send climb height and capable enough to do extreme maneuvers.
That's was what MiG-29 was designed for. Its capability to operate from rough make shift short airfields is one of its key strengths. Those are things which the MKI cannot do. Also MiG-29 is the highest Thrust to Weight ratio plane in the IAF. I remember back in 2003, when one of the BRF-ite heard about the MKIs vs -29s dogfight when chatting with a pilot. MKIs being made out to be a super fighter back then he expected MKIs to prevail. Much to every ones amazement MiG-29s owned MKIs ass in guns only. Only when MKIs reached Bingo fuel did they put up a challenge. There were also Short range missile dogfights, however, those results were not shared.
Btw, Got some few question regarding about MiG-29 and its upgradations
- How much change the new Zhuk-ME could bring compare to present IAF MiG-29 radar?. Both the radars are BVR capable, Even if the Zukh-ME model has far better range but still in the end it has to launch the R-77 at same range.
- What about EW systems, Are they russian or Israeli? I Hope the new Migs are fitted with best ew systems available.
- Are the present non-upgraded MiG-29s acapable to launch anti-radiation missiles?
Zhuk-ME in the UPG upgrade has a look up range of 120km for a 5m2 target.
IAF MiG-29Bs had N019EB Sapfir Radar which is the non-warsaw pact export variant of N019 radar. N019EA is the export variant for warsaw pact countries. EA lacked 1 mode, while EB also apart from lacking the above mentioned mode, also lacked ECCM features, downgraded processor and datalinking. But some 10 additional MiG-29Bs were procured in 1994 which came with new N019ME Topaz(N019ME is the slightly downgraded export variant of N019M meant for MiG-29S).
N019EB under best weather conditions had a detection range of 70km for 3m2 target in look up(79.5km for 5m2 target) and can only engage 1 target at a time. N019ME under best weather conditions had a detection range of 80km for a 3m2 target in look up(91km for 5m2 target) and can engage 2 targets at a time. Zhuk-ME can engage 4 targets at a time and under best weather conditions has a detection range of 120km for a 5m2 target in look up. So that's an advantage of 30km when compared with Topaz and 40km when compared with Sapfir. The Junk Fighter 17's KLJ-7 has a look up detection range of 75km for a 3m2 target(85km for 5m2 target) under best weather conditions & can engage 2 Targets simultaneously. F-16 Block 52's APG-68(V)9 has a look up detection range of 105km for 5m2 target under best weather conditions.
It was one of those 10 MiG-29s, which in Kargil shocked the hell outta PAF and their F-16 dream machine, plus put one of their pilots in a trauma, when during CAP/Escort locked on to 2 PAF F-16s which had been scrambled to shoot down the MiG-27s which were making short passes into PoK when they were bombing crap outta the NLI.
There were rumours that after the Kargil war the rest of the MiG-29B fleet was upgraded to Topaz, but given the fact that UPG upgrade was signed less than a decade after the rumors, it is highly unlikely that the N019EB was junked in favor of N019ME.
