The prolonged efforts of Swiss trading firm Noga to impound
Russian assets for unpaid debts threw a wild card into the MiG
Corporation's plans for the Paris Air Show. Two years ago at Le
Bourget Noga almost impounded a MiG-AT jet trainer and a Sukhoi
Su-30MK multirole fighter, and the dispute remains unsettled.
The Russian manufacturer hoped to receive a favorable decision
at a French court hearing on June 4, but the final verdict will
not be announced until July, forcing MiG to change its plans for
the show.
This left the MiG-29M2 and MiG-AT at home, and MiG Corporation
displaying its wares via mockups and posters.
The company is offering MiG-29 derivatives, based on two different
airframes. The MiG-29SMT/SMT2 use the airframe of the original
MiG-29 and features mainly upgrades in avionics package and weapons
fits.
The MiG-29SMT project was conceived as an upgrade of existing
fleets. There are 851 MiG-29s serving in 27 countries apart from
Russia, MiG deputy general director Vyacheslav Meleshko told Show
News. The SMT retrofit program includes new Zhuk-ME radar with
air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, a new display-based cockpit,
increased internal fuel capacity, inflight refueling, and a new
range of guided weapons
The multirole MiG-29M/M2 (single- and two-seater respectively)
represent the next step in MiG's combat aircraft family. They
are equipped with the Zhuk-ME radar, fly-by-wire control system,
larger internal fuel tanks, RD-33-3M engines with increased maximum
thrust and lower specific fuel consumption, and a more rugged
airframe designed for the Mig-29K naval fighter. The MiG-29M has
a maximum combat range of 3,000 kilometers and is capable of carrying
up to six tonnes of weapons, whilst retaining the superb close
combat agility of its predecessor, Meleshko said.
Although it has been publicly demonstrated in Malaysia and India,
this latest iteration of the MiG-29 has yet to be seen flying
at a European airshow, so its no-show at Le Bourget is particularly
galling for the Russian manufacturer.
