Made with Kleap
M29 FULCRUM.

NATO reporting name · Fulcrum-A

MiG‑29
Fulcrum.

A twin-engine, fourth-generation air superiority fighter built by Mikoyan-Gurevich. Designed in the late Cold War, exported worldwide, still in front-line service — and still winning dogfights.

View technical specs Read the history
First flight
1977
Max speed
Mach 2.25
Thrust
2 × RD-33
Top view of military jets lined up on a grassy airfield.
NATO · FULCRUM
SOVIET UNION · 1982

Operated by

USSR · 1982PolandGermany (E.)IndiaUkraineBelarusKazakhstanPeruCubaMalaysiaMyanmarIran

Technical specifications

Built to out-turn, out-climb, out-punch.

The MiG-29 blends a lightweight airframe with two powerful RD-33 turbofans, fly-by-wire controls, and the legendary PTB-1150 armored bubble canopy — purpose-built for visual-range dogfighting.

Role
Air superiority fighter
First flight
6 October 1977
Introduced
1982
Crew
1 (2 in MiG-29UB)
Length
17.32 m
Wingspan
11.36 m
Max speed
Mach 2.25 (2,400 km/h)
Ceiling
18,000 m
Thrust
2 × Klimov RD-33
Combat radius
700 km

Timeline

From the Iron Curtain to frontline service.

Designed in secrecy at the Mikoyan bureau, the MiG-29 was a direct answer to the new generation of American fighters. It has outlasted its rivals — and outlasted the country that built it.

  1. 1969

    Soviet Air Force issues a requirement for a new lightweight front-line fighter to counter the F-15 and F-16.

  2. 1977

    Prototype 9-12 makes its maiden flight at Ramenskoye, piloted by Alexander Fedotov.

  3. 1982

    MiG-29 enters service with the Soviet Air Force. NATO reports it as 'Fulcrum-A'.

  4. 1988

    Two MiG-29s defect to Japan — the first glimpse Western engineers get of the jet up close.

  5. 1990s

    Exported widely. Operated by 30+ air forces, from Poland to Peru to Malaysia.

  6. 2018

    MiG-29K returns to carrier operations with the Indian Navy; MiG-29M/M2 modernized for export.

Variants

A family, not a single jet.

Variant

MiG-29A

Baseline air-superiority fighter for Soviet Frontal Aviation.

Variant

MiG-29B

Export version with downgraded avionics and weapons.

Variant

MiG-29UB

Two-seat combat trainer, fully combat-capable.

Variant

MiG-29S

Upgraded with refuelling probe, modern radar and weapons.

Variant

MiG-29M

Multirole evolution with enlarged airframe and new avionics.

Variant

MiG-29K

Carrier-based variant for the Russian and Indian Navies.

Variant

MiG-35

Latest 4++ gen multirole — Fulcrum's modern successor.

Combat record

Still in the fight.

The Fulcrum has flown in real wars for four decades — from Cold War–era Pakistan to the skies over Ukraine in 2022. It keeps proving the 1970s design was the right one.

1989

First kill: a MiG-29 shoots down a Pakistani F-16 over the disputed Sir Creek area in January — the first US fighter lost in air-to-air combat.

1990s

Fierce dogfights over Eritrea–Ethiopia (1998–2000); multiple air-to-air kills on both sides.

2014+

Operated by Ukraine, used extensively in combat operations over the Donbas and beyond.

2020s

Slovakia, Poland, and Czech Republic transfer MiG-29s to Ukraine following the 2022 full-scale invasion.

Gallery

The Fulcrum in detail.

Six fighter jets flying in formation against a cloudy sky.
Formation flight
Soviet-era fighter jet mounted on a pedestal in Brest, Belarus.
Detailed view of a military jet cockpit with pilots preparing for flight.
Detailed view of vintage military jet cockpit with analog gauges, Ankara.
Classic military jet with the number 96 in Madrid, Spain.
Dynamic capture of a military fighter jet soaring through a cloudy sky.
Old military jet fighter on display in a lush green park.
A military pilot sits in the cockpit of a fighter jet, ready for takeoff.
Impressive aerobatic display of jets in formation against a clear sky.

The Cold War's most exported fighter.

The MiG-29 has been built under license in Poland, Germany and India, and flown by more than 30 air forces. It remains one of the most produced combat aircraft of the post-war era.

Back to the specs