From Yefim Gordons book
MIG-29K Single-Seat Shipboard Fighter
(Izdeliye9.41)
MIG-29KUB Two-Seat Shipboard Fighter
(Izdellye 9.47)
On 20th January 2004 Russia and India signed yet another defence contract worth more than US$ 700 million. Under this contract RSK MiG was to deliver sixteen MiG-29K shipboard fighters to the Indian Navy; these aircraft were to form the carrier wing of India's first CTOL aircraft carrier. The Soviet, and later Russian, aircraft industry has a long history of cooperation with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy; in particular, Mikoyan aircraft have formed the backbone of the lAF's fighter element for many years. Several hundred MiG-21 s, MiG-25s, MiG-27s and MiG-29s are currently in service with the IAF, and the MiG-23 used to be operated as well. Moreover, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd-(HAL) assisted by Soviet/Russian specialists has mastered licence production, repair/refurbish*ment and upgrading of several Mikoyan types. The MiGs, and Russian fighters in general, have long since earned the respect of Indian pilots and military specialists.
A few words have to be said about the abovementioned contract. Apart from the delivery of twelve MiG-29K single-seaters and four MiG-29KUB combat trainers, it included the training of the customer's flying personnel and technical staff, the delivery and commissioning of flight simulators, spares supplies and the organisation of maintenance at the customer's facilities. Deliveries are to begin in 2007, the last of the 16 aircraft being delivered in 2009. The Indian Navy also signed an option for a further 30 MiG-29K/KUBs to be delivered in 2010-2015; this may bring the Indian Navy's MiG fleet to 46.
The fighters will operate from the Project 1143 aircraft carrier formerly known as RNS Admiral Gorshkov which will be extensively converted to enable CTOL operations (this involves installation of a ski jump, among other things); the upgraded carrier, now known as Project 11430, has already been rechristened INS Vikramaditya. Its carrier wing will include up to 24 MiG-29K/KUBs. The fighters may also be based aboard the Indian Navy's future carrier provisionally known as the ADS (Air Defence Ship).
Now we come to the most important bit. Despite sharing the MiG-29K designation of the izdeiiye 9.31 (Fulcrum-D) shipboard fighter developed for the Soviet Navy and described in Chapter 5, the multi-role aircraft now being developed under the Indian contract is rather different - a thoroughly updated version of the original design, The design staff of RSK MiG had to go to great lengths to adapt the fighter to the Indian Navy's requirements and the new ship from which the MiG-29K will now operate. This was also because the MiG-29K programme had been put on hold for a long time (the Russian Navy had rejected the izdeiiye 9.31, selecting a single type - the Sukhoi SU-27K (Su-33) - to equip the carrier wing of its sole CTOL carrier RNS Admiral Kuznetsov) and the MiG-29's development has not been standing still. The existing know-how, experience and hardware were a great help, but major changes had to be made to meet the new challenges.
As recounted in Chapter 6, two MiG-29K (izdeiiye 9.31) prototypes- '311 Blue' and '312 Blue' - had been built in the late 1980s, successfully passing carrier compatibility trials aboard the Project 1143.5 aircraft carrier SNS Tbilisi (later SNS Admiral Kuznetsov) in 1989-91, whereupon the fighter received the preliminary go-ahead for production and service from the Soviet Ministry of Defence. By the end of August 1992 the two prototypes had made more than 420 flights between them, including 80-plus carrier landings; shipboard operations had been performed both by Mikoyan test pilots and the pilots of what was then GNIKIWS. MiG-29K '311 Blue' has the distinction of being the first Soviet/Russian aircraft to perform a conventional take-off from an aircraft carrier (this was done by test pilot Toktar O. Aubakirov on 1st November 1989). However, the demise of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic chaos forced the Russian MoD to postpone new hardware procurement for many years. The MiG-29K programme was suspended and the prototypes were mothballed. Still, they received a new lease of life in the late 1990s when India started negotiating the purchase of the aircraft carrier RNS Admiral Gorshkov with Russia. The Admiral Gorshkov had been built with Yakovlev Yak-38 V/STOL attack jets in mind and was 'laid off' after the Yak-38 had been withdrawn; however, she had the potential for upgrading into a multi-role CTOL carrier with a ski jump. In 1996 Russia offered the MiG-29K to the Indian Navy as the main type for the prospective carrier. Thus the two MiG-29K prototypes were reactivated; '312 Blue' resumed flights in July 1999 and was joined by '311 Blue' in September 2000.
The airframer (RSK MiG) and the avionics houses involved were facing new requirements which, in effect, necessitated the development of a new shipboard fighter - quite a formidable task. Two versions were developed in parallel: the MiG-29K single-seat multi-role fighter (which, in its new guise, received the new in-house designation izdeliye 9.41) and the two-seat MiG-29KUB {izdeliye 9.47) which could be used both as a fighter and as a combat-capable trainer. To save time and cut costs the two versions will have more than 90% commonality as regards the airframe and systems and nearly 100% commonality as regards avionics and armament; in other words, basically the MiG-29K
differs from the MiG-29KUB only in having an extra fuel tank occupying the two-seater's rear cockpit.
The single-seat MiG-29K fills the following basic roles:
• air defence of carrier task forces in BVR engagement or dogfight mode and interception of aerial targets flying at 20-27,000 m (65-88,580 ft) and speeds up to 2,500-2,700 km/h (1,552-1,677 mph) in any weather, day or night;
• destruction of enemy air assets (anti*submarine warfare, transport/assault and airborne early warning and control aircraft and helicopters) in areas where 'friendly' sub*marines are in operation;
• anti-shipping strikes against the enemy's naval task forces, supply convoys and solitary ships, as well as strikes against ground targets, using both precision-guided munitions and unguided weapons;
• destruction of anti-assault pillboxes on the coastline and providing close air support to assault groups;
• support and protection of other (shore-based) naval aircraft en route to and from the battle area;
• reconnaissance.
In addition, the two-seat MiG-29KUB can be used for proficiency training and conversion training for the single-seat MiG-29K. Also, workload distribution between the crewmem-bers during a combat sortie (the back-seater searches for the targets and selects the weapons) enhances the two-seat fighter's efficiency in both air-to-air and air-to-surface PAZ-1MK was developed by NPP Zvezda specially for the Indian naval versions as a derivative of the well-known UPAZ-1 HDU used by the IL-78 tanker and Russian tactical aircraft; its overall length has been reduced to about 3 m (9 ft 10 in), allowing centreline carriage by aircraft fitted with arrester hooks.
As compared to its Fulcrum-D namesake, the MiG-29K (izdeliye 9.41) has an avionics fit which is at least 80% new and has considerable commonality with the production-standard MiG-29SMT (izdeliye 9.1 developed both for the home market and for export. In accordance with the Indian Navy's wishes the MiG-29K/KUB will feature some avionics items of Indian and French origin.
The PrNK-29K and PrNK-29KUB navigation/ attack suites developed for the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB respectively permit navigation and engagement of aerial and ground/surface targets throughout the aircraft's designated combat envelope, singly or as part of a group, regardless of whether the fighter operates from the carrier or from a shore base. Both versions of the suite have been developed by the RPKB Federal Research & Production Centre which is conjunction with the IDK-42 built-in test equipment system (informatsionno-diagnos-tlcheskiy kompleks).
Like the 'landlubber' MiG-29M, the MIG-29K and MiG-29KUB have traded the forward air intake blocker doors and spring-loaded dorsal doors for FOD prevention grilles further down*stream. This frees up internal space inside the LERXes, allowing it to be used for additional fuel.
Because the MiG-29K/KUB will operate in a salty oceanic environment, special corrosion protection measures for the airframe, avionics/ equipment and the engines will be implemented, utilising the latest know-how of the Russian research establishments and industry. Radar-absorbing material (RAM) coatings will reduce the fighter's RCS by a factor of 4 to 5 as compared to the standard MiG-29.
Changes have been made to the powerplant as well. The Indian Navy versions will be powered by the new RD-33MK afterburning turbofan developed by NPO Klimov in St. Petersburg. The RD-33MKwhich is due to enter production at the Moscow Machinery Enterprise named after V. V. Chernyshov, is a derivative of the production RD-33 Srs 3 which has been powering the MIG-29SE and the MiG-29SMT since 1995. It incorporates changes based on the experience gained with the RD-33K engine that powered the original MiG-29K and the MiG-29M; apart from the addition of full authority digital engine control (FADEC), the RD-33MK features revisions to the low-pressure and high-pressure compressors, the combustion chamber and the HP and LP turbines. This increased the mass flow by 6.5% and the turbine temperature by 40°K. The overall effect of these changes was to increase the thrust in full afterburner by 8% to 9,000 kgp (19,840 Ibst) and at full military power by 1% to 5,400 kgp (11,905 Ibst). The use ol a so-called smokeless combustion chamber has helped to address a perennial problem - the RD-33's high smoke signature which can be seen for miles, ruining stealth. Also, while retaining the 1,000-hour TBO of the RD-33 Srs 3, the RD-33MK has had the designated service life doubled (to 4,000 hours). ,
The RD-33MK has passed a complete cycle of bench tests at NPO Klimov and subsequently at TslAM. In 2002 the first two RD-33MKs were fitted to MiG-29K '312 Blue' and are currently undergoing flight tests.
NPO Klimov has also developed the all-new KSA-33M accessory gearbox specially for the MiG-29K {izdeliye 9.41) and the MiG-29KUB (izdeliye 9.47). As distinct from the KSA-2 and KSA-3 accessory gearboxes fitted to earlier versions of the Fulcrum, the KSA-33M consists of two independent sections powered by the respective engines, each section driving its own set of generators and hydraulic and fuel pumps and carrying its own APU (jet fuel starter). This significantly enhances reliability and operating efficiency in extreme climates, allowing the advantages of the twin-engine layout to be used to the full.
The VK-100 APU (another NPO Klimov product) used on the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB is also new; it is a derivative of the well-known GTDE-117 and offers more shaft horsepower. Unlike previous versions of the MiG-29, the APU exhausts are located dorsally to reduce the fire hazard during carrier operations and enable the carriage of a new enlarged centreline drop tank. (In contrast, on all previous versions of the fighter with a ventral APU exhaust port the PTB-1250 centreline drop tank incorporates a straight-through duct for the APU exhaust.)
Currently HAL has mastered licence production and refurbishment of the baseline RD-33 powering the Indian Air Force's MiG-29s. The fact that India is currently negotiating manufacturing rights for the RD-33 Srs 3 testifies to the high appraisal given to this engine by Indian specialists. Hence the Indian Navy is not likely to experience any major maintenance problems with the MiG-29K/KUB's powerplant.
The internal fuel capacity of the MiG-29K (izdeliye 9.41) is more than 50% greater than the basic MiG-29's and more than 16% greater than that of the original MiG-29K (izdeliye 9.31). The increase is due to the provision of additional fuselage tanks (including a 500-litre (110 Imp gal) tank in the fuselage spine and smaller tanks in the LERXes) and the installation of a 630-litre (138.6 Imp gal) auxiliary tank occupying the rear cockpit; this latter tank is omitted on the MiG-29KUB. Additionally, the capacity of the centreline drop tank has been increased from 1,250 litres (275 Imp gal) to 2,150 litres {473 Imp gal) and the number of underwing drop tanks holding 1,150 litres (253 Imp gal) each has been increased from two to four. [
As already mentioned, the MiG-29K (izdeliye 9.41) and the MiG-29KUB {izdeliye 9.47) have IFR capability. The fully retractable IFR probe is tipped with a versatile adapter which is compatible with both Russian and Western refuelling drogues. Fitting four underwing drop tanks and a PAZ-1MK hose drum unit turns the MiG-29K/KUB into a 'buddy' refuelling tanker able to refuel other shipboard fighters. The mode as compared to single-seat competitors. Both versions retain the basic Fulcrum's excellent air combat capabilities. If a 'buddy' refuelling pod is fitted, the MiG-29K and MIG-29KUB can refuel probe-equipped sister aircraft, extending their range and endurance.
MIG-29K Single-Seat Shipboard Fighter
(Izdeliye9.41)
MIG-29KUB Two-Seat Shipboard Fighter
(Izdellye 9.47)
On 20th January 2004 Russia and India signed yet another defence contract worth more than US$ 700 million. Under this contract RSK MiG was to deliver sixteen MiG-29K shipboard fighters to the Indian Navy; these aircraft were to form the carrier wing of India's first CTOL aircraft carrier. The Soviet, and later Russian, aircraft industry has a long history of cooperation with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy; in particular, Mikoyan aircraft have formed the backbone of the lAF's fighter element for many years. Several hundred MiG-21 s, MiG-25s, MiG-27s and MiG-29s are currently in service with the IAF, and the MiG-23 used to be operated as well. Moreover, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd-(HAL) assisted by Soviet/Russian specialists has mastered licence production, repair/refurbish*ment and upgrading of several Mikoyan types. The MiGs, and Russian fighters in general, have long since earned the respect of Indian pilots and military specialists.
A few words have to be said about the abovementioned contract. Apart from the delivery of twelve MiG-29K single-seaters and four MiG-29KUB combat trainers, it included the training of the customer's flying personnel and technical staff, the delivery and commissioning of flight simulators, spares supplies and the organisation of maintenance at the customer's facilities. Deliveries are to begin in 2007, the last of the 16 aircraft being delivered in 2009. The Indian Navy also signed an option for a further 30 MiG-29K/KUBs to be delivered in 2010-2015; this may bring the Indian Navy's MiG fleet to 46.
The fighters will operate from the Project 1143 aircraft carrier formerly known as RNS Admiral Gorshkov which will be extensively converted to enable CTOL operations (this involves installation of a ski jump, among other things); the upgraded carrier, now known as Project 11430, has already been rechristened INS Vikramaditya. Its carrier wing will include up to 24 MiG-29K/KUBs. The fighters may also be based aboard the Indian Navy's future carrier provisionally known as the ADS (Air Defence Ship).
Now we come to the most important bit. Despite sharing the MiG-29K designation of the izdeiiye 9.31 (Fulcrum-D) shipboard fighter developed for the Soviet Navy and described in Chapter 5, the multi-role aircraft now being developed under the Indian contract is rather different - a thoroughly updated version of the original design, The design staff of RSK MiG had to go to great lengths to adapt the fighter to the Indian Navy's requirements and the new ship from which the MiG-29K will now operate. This was also because the MiG-29K programme had been put on hold for a long time (the Russian Navy had rejected the izdeiiye 9.31, selecting a single type - the Sukhoi SU-27K (Su-33) - to equip the carrier wing of its sole CTOL carrier RNS Admiral Kuznetsov) and the MiG-29's development has not been standing still. The existing know-how, experience and hardware were a great help, but major changes had to be made to meet the new challenges.
As recounted in Chapter 6, two MiG-29K (izdeiiye 9.31) prototypes- '311 Blue' and '312 Blue' - had been built in the late 1980s, successfully passing carrier compatibility trials aboard the Project 1143.5 aircraft carrier SNS Tbilisi (later SNS Admiral Kuznetsov) in 1989-91, whereupon the fighter received the preliminary go-ahead for production and service from the Soviet Ministry of Defence. By the end of August 1992 the two prototypes had made more than 420 flights between them, including 80-plus carrier landings; shipboard operations had been performed both by Mikoyan test pilots and the pilots of what was then GNIKIWS. MiG-29K '311 Blue' has the distinction of being the first Soviet/Russian aircraft to perform a conventional take-off from an aircraft carrier (this was done by test pilot Toktar O. Aubakirov on 1st November 1989). However, the demise of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic chaos forced the Russian MoD to postpone new hardware procurement for many years. The MiG-29K programme was suspended and the prototypes were mothballed. Still, they received a new lease of life in the late 1990s when India started negotiating the purchase of the aircraft carrier RNS Admiral Gorshkov with Russia. The Admiral Gorshkov had been built with Yakovlev Yak-38 V/STOL attack jets in mind and was 'laid off' after the Yak-38 had been withdrawn; however, she had the potential for upgrading into a multi-role CTOL carrier with a ski jump. In 1996 Russia offered the MiG-29K to the Indian Navy as the main type for the prospective carrier. Thus the two MiG-29K prototypes were reactivated; '312 Blue' resumed flights in July 1999 and was joined by '311 Blue' in September 2000.
The airframer (RSK MiG) and the avionics houses involved were facing new requirements which, in effect, necessitated the development of a new shipboard fighter - quite a formidable task. Two versions were developed in parallel: the MiG-29K single-seat multi-role fighter (which, in its new guise, received the new in-house designation izdeliye 9.41) and the two-seat MiG-29KUB {izdeliye 9.47) which could be used both as a fighter and as a combat-capable trainer. To save time and cut costs the two versions will have more than 90% commonality as regards the airframe and systems and nearly 100% commonality as regards avionics and armament; in other words, basically the MiG-29K
differs from the MiG-29KUB only in having an extra fuel tank occupying the two-seater's rear cockpit.
The single-seat MiG-29K fills the following basic roles:
• air defence of carrier task forces in BVR engagement or dogfight mode and interception of aerial targets flying at 20-27,000 m (65-88,580 ft) and speeds up to 2,500-2,700 km/h (1,552-1,677 mph) in any weather, day or night;
• destruction of enemy air assets (anti*submarine warfare, transport/assault and airborne early warning and control aircraft and helicopters) in areas where 'friendly' sub*marines are in operation;
• anti-shipping strikes against the enemy's naval task forces, supply convoys and solitary ships, as well as strikes against ground targets, using both precision-guided munitions and unguided weapons;
• destruction of anti-assault pillboxes on the coastline and providing close air support to assault groups;
• support and protection of other (shore-based) naval aircraft en route to and from the battle area;
• reconnaissance.
In addition, the two-seat MiG-29KUB can be used for proficiency training and conversion training for the single-seat MiG-29K. Also, workload distribution between the crewmem-bers during a combat sortie (the back-seater searches for the targets and selects the weapons) enhances the two-seat fighter's efficiency in both air-to-air and air-to-surface PAZ-1MK was developed by NPP Zvezda specially for the Indian naval versions as a derivative of the well-known UPAZ-1 HDU used by the IL-78 tanker and Russian tactical aircraft; its overall length has been reduced to about 3 m (9 ft 10 in), allowing centreline carriage by aircraft fitted with arrester hooks.
As compared to its Fulcrum-D namesake, the MiG-29K (izdeliye 9.41) has an avionics fit which is at least 80% new and has considerable commonality with the production-standard MiG-29SMT (izdeliye 9.1 developed both for the home market and for export. In accordance with the Indian Navy's wishes the MiG-29K/KUB will feature some avionics items of Indian and French origin.
The PrNK-29K and PrNK-29KUB navigation/ attack suites developed for the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB respectively permit navigation and engagement of aerial and ground/surface targets throughout the aircraft's designated combat envelope, singly or as part of a group, regardless of whether the fighter operates from the carrier or from a shore base. Both versions of the suite have been developed by the RPKB Federal Research & Production Centre which is conjunction with the IDK-42 built-in test equipment system (informatsionno-diagnos-tlcheskiy kompleks).
Like the 'landlubber' MiG-29M, the MIG-29K and MiG-29KUB have traded the forward air intake blocker doors and spring-loaded dorsal doors for FOD prevention grilles further down*stream. This frees up internal space inside the LERXes, allowing it to be used for additional fuel.
Because the MiG-29K/KUB will operate in a salty oceanic environment, special corrosion protection measures for the airframe, avionics/ equipment and the engines will be implemented, utilising the latest know-how of the Russian research establishments and industry. Radar-absorbing material (RAM) coatings will reduce the fighter's RCS by a factor of 4 to 5 as compared to the standard MiG-29.
Changes have been made to the powerplant as well. The Indian Navy versions will be powered by the new RD-33MK afterburning turbofan developed by NPO Klimov in St. Petersburg. The RD-33MKwhich is due to enter production at the Moscow Machinery Enterprise named after V. V. Chernyshov, is a derivative of the production RD-33 Srs 3 which has been powering the MIG-29SE and the MiG-29SMT since 1995. It incorporates changes based on the experience gained with the RD-33K engine that powered the original MiG-29K and the MiG-29M; apart from the addition of full authority digital engine control (FADEC), the RD-33MK features revisions to the low-pressure and high-pressure compressors, the combustion chamber and the HP and LP turbines. This increased the mass flow by 6.5% and the turbine temperature by 40°K. The overall effect of these changes was to increase the thrust in full afterburner by 8% to 9,000 kgp (19,840 Ibst) and at full military power by 1% to 5,400 kgp (11,905 Ibst). The use ol a so-called smokeless combustion chamber has helped to address a perennial problem - the RD-33's high smoke signature which can be seen for miles, ruining stealth. Also, while retaining the 1,000-hour TBO of the RD-33 Srs 3, the RD-33MK has had the designated service life doubled (to 4,000 hours). ,
The RD-33MK has passed a complete cycle of bench tests at NPO Klimov and subsequently at TslAM. In 2002 the first two RD-33MKs were fitted to MiG-29K '312 Blue' and are currently undergoing flight tests.
NPO Klimov has also developed the all-new KSA-33M accessory gearbox specially for the MiG-29K {izdeliye 9.41) and the MiG-29KUB (izdeliye 9.47). As distinct from the KSA-2 and KSA-3 accessory gearboxes fitted to earlier versions of the Fulcrum, the KSA-33M consists of two independent sections powered by the respective engines, each section driving its own set of generators and hydraulic and fuel pumps and carrying its own APU (jet fuel starter). This significantly enhances reliability and operating efficiency in extreme climates, allowing the advantages of the twin-engine layout to be used to the full.
The VK-100 APU (another NPO Klimov product) used on the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB is also new; it is a derivative of the well-known GTDE-117 and offers more shaft horsepower. Unlike previous versions of the MiG-29, the APU exhausts are located dorsally to reduce the fire hazard during carrier operations and enable the carriage of a new enlarged centreline drop tank. (In contrast, on all previous versions of the fighter with a ventral APU exhaust port the PTB-1250 centreline drop tank incorporates a straight-through duct for the APU exhaust.)
Currently HAL has mastered licence production and refurbishment of the baseline RD-33 powering the Indian Air Force's MiG-29s. The fact that India is currently negotiating manufacturing rights for the RD-33 Srs 3 testifies to the high appraisal given to this engine by Indian specialists. Hence the Indian Navy is not likely to experience any major maintenance problems with the MiG-29K/KUB's powerplant.
The internal fuel capacity of the MiG-29K (izdeliye 9.41) is more than 50% greater than the basic MiG-29's and more than 16% greater than that of the original MiG-29K (izdeliye 9.31). The increase is due to the provision of additional fuselage tanks (including a 500-litre (110 Imp gal) tank in the fuselage spine and smaller tanks in the LERXes) and the installation of a 630-litre (138.6 Imp gal) auxiliary tank occupying the rear cockpit; this latter tank is omitted on the MiG-29KUB. Additionally, the capacity of the centreline drop tank has been increased from 1,250 litres (275 Imp gal) to 2,150 litres {473 Imp gal) and the number of underwing drop tanks holding 1,150 litres (253 Imp gal) each has been increased from two to four. [
As already mentioned, the MiG-29K (izdeliye 9.41) and the MiG-29KUB {izdeliye 9.47) have IFR capability. The fully retractable IFR probe is tipped with a versatile adapter which is compatible with both Russian and Western refuelling drogues. Fitting four underwing drop tanks and a PAZ-1MK hose drum unit turns the MiG-29K/KUB into a 'buddy' refuelling tanker able to refuel other shipboard fighters. The mode as compared to single-seat competitors. Both versions retain the basic Fulcrum's excellent air combat capabilities. If a 'buddy' refuelling pod is fitted, the MiG-29K and MIG-29KUB can refuel probe-equipped sister aircraft, extending their range and endurance.