m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | r e p o r t

MiG-29K
back on deck!
In later September, the MiG Corporation conducted successful flight trials of the advanced MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB multirole
carrierborne fighters ordered by the Indian Navy (IN). The trials took place on board the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft-carrying
cruiser of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. The first deck landing on the Admiral Kuznetsov in the Barents Sea was
conducted on 28 September by MiG Corp. chief test pilot Pavel Vlasov flying the MiG-29K prototype serialled 941. MiG Corp. test
pilots Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyayev followed him on the production MiG-29KUB twinseater painted in the customers
colour scheme. In the course of two days, both aircraft performed several takeoffs and deck landings that proved the feasibility
of safe operation of advanced fighters from aircraft carriers. Interestingly, the MiG-29K/KUBs flight tests on board the Admiral
Kuznetsov had taken place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the first deck landings of Russias fourth-generation supersonic
fighters and had become a kind of MiGs comeback to the deck. On 1 November 1989, a prototype MiG-29K of the previous
model touched down on and then took off from this ship that was designated as Tbilisi at the time. Several more series of tests
were conducted over several years afterwards, but for a number of reasons a decision was taken to have the Sukhoi Su-33
(Su-27K) shipborne fighter enter inventory of the Russian Navys air arm. History has made another twist, and now advanced
MiG-29K/KUB being in full-rate production for a foreign customer could be used by the Russian Navy in the near future.
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That the advanced MiG-29K/KUB carri-
erborne fighters were to perform a series of
test flights on board the Admiral Kuznetsov
became known soon after the carrier returned
from its Mediterranean cruise in March and
commenced long-term maintenance. To test
advanced MiGs on deck and train the pilots of
the 279th shipborne fighter air regiment of the
Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy, who have
not flown their Su-33s and Su-25UTGs from
the carrier in 2009 and unable to hone their
flying skills at the Nitka training facility in the
Crimea, a decision was taken to suspend the
Admiral Kuznetsovs maintenance for a while,
so she sailed to the Barents Sea in September.
In later September, two brand-new carri-
erborne MiGs flew to Severomorsk from the
Moscow Region these were the MiG-29K
single-seat prototype serialled 941 and the
production-standard MiG-29KUB twinseater
serialled 672 already painted in the Indian Navy
colour scheme. The two were crewed by MiG
Corp.s test pilots Pavel Vlasov (MiG Corp. dep-
uty Director General for flight operations, chief
Traditional throwing a pilot into the air after
his first deck landing, 28 September 2009.
Five minutes ago, Pavel Vlasov landed his
MiG-29K on deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov
for the first time
and only two hours later, he is taxiing to the
launching position for the first take-off from
the ship
Andrey FOMIN
Photos by Eduard Chalenko
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of the Fedotov Flight Test Centre, chief test pilot
of MiG Corp.), Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail
Belyayev. The former two had had an experi-
ence in operating from deck: Merited Test Pilot,
Hero of Russia Pavel Vlasov participated in the
tests of the MiG-29K prototypes in the early
90s, and Merited Test Pilot, Hero of Russia
Nikolay Diorditsa as a military test pilot with
the Defence Ministrys Flight Test Centre was
heavily involved in the official and special trials
of the Su-33 and Su-25UTG on the Admiral
Kuznetsov. Having gotten out of uniform as
colonel, he has been working as test pilot for
MiG Corp.s Fedotov Flight Test Centre since
2003. Test Pilot 1st Class Mikhail Belyayev is a
leading Fedotov Flight Test Centre test pilot on
the MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-35 programmes.
He also learnt supermanoeuvrable piloting on
the MiG-29M OVT No. 156.
In addition to the three MiG Corp. pilots,
the MiG-29K/KUB test flight programme on
board the Admiral Kuznetsov involved Defence
Ministrys Chkalov Flight Test Centre mili-
tary test pilot Col. Oleg Spichka, who used to
fly Su-33s and Su-25UTGs from the Admiral
Kuznetsov and Nitka.
Late in September, the advanced MiGs start-
ed taking off from the Severomorsk-3 air base
and flying around the Admiral Kuznetsov in the
Barents Sea, gradually reducing the altitude of
their flypasts over her deck and finally starting
doing touch-and-go. The trial flights demon-
strated the preparedness of the planes and pilots
to land on deck.
The first deck landing in the trials was per-
formed by MiG Corp. chief test pilot Pavel
Vlasov on his MiG-29K side number 941 at
11.47 on 28 September. He was followed by
Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyayev on
their MiG-29KUB (No. 672) twinseater less
than half an hour later. The fighters taxied to the
prelaunch area at the stern of the carrier to gear
up for another sortie, and Vlasov launched his
MiG-29K off deck for the second time less than
two hours later, at 13.57. Then, Diorditsa and
Belyayev took off on their MiG-29KUB. The
crews remained overnight at the Severomorsk-3
air base, resuming operations from the carrier on
the next day. Vlasov again brought his MiG-29K
on deck at about 13.00 on 29 September. The
hook of Diorditsa and Belyayevs twinseater
snagged the arrestor line about half an hour later.
Soon, both fighters left the Admiral Kuznetsov
again, with the singleseater taking off at about
14.00 followed by the twinseater an hour later.
The advanced MiG fighters flight-test pro-
gramme on board the Admiral Kuznetsov
through-deck cruiser, observed on deck by MiG
Corp. Director General Mikhail Pogosyan and
representatives of the Indian Navy and Russian
Defence Ministry, was pronounced a success.
According to Mikhail Pogosyan, the flight tri-
als of the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB on board
the Admiral Kuznetsov have crowned Russias
endeavour to develop a sophisticated carrierborne
fighter. He thanked the pilots for the great job
done and emphasised that carrier operations
required top-notch flying skills. The MiG Corp.
leader said he was certain that the successful
carrier trials would facilitate the progress of the
MiG-29K/KUB programme in India and a
keener interest of other foreign customers in
advanced aircraft from MiG Corp. He also was
certain that the MiG-29K/KUB would come in
handy to the Russian Armed Forces as well.
MiG Corp.s aircraft plant in the town
of Lukhovitsy is completing several produc-
tion-standard MiG-29K/KUBs as part of the
first 16-ship batch ordered by the Indian Navy
in January 2004. The first group of Indian naval
pilots started their conversion training, using the
first four of the fighters as far back as last year,
with the first MiG-29K/KUBs expected to be
headed for India before year-end. MiG Corp.
is intent on delivering the last of the 16 aircraft
(12 singleseaters and four twinseaters) in 2010.
However, this, most probably, will not be the end
of it. The Times of India reported on 4 October
While the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB fighters, which have just
landed on deck, are being maintained at the maintenance area, the
military pilots form Severomorsk are using the lull in the test flights:
the final approach of the Su-25UTG, on which pilots with the 279th
shipborne fighter air regiment are training
Capt. 1st Rank Vyacheslav Rodionov, commanding officer of the
Admiral Kuznetsov through-deck cruiser, is giving MiG Corp. test
pilots Nikolay Diorditsa, Pavel Vlasov and Mikhail Belyayev (left
to right) diplomas for their first deck landings
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that the Indian Defence Ministry was about
to submit a proposal to the government for
buying a second batch of 29 MiG-29K/KUBs
that are options under the 2004 contract.
The daily estimates the value of the deal at
$1.12 billion. The Indian Defence Ministry
was prompted to take the decision by the
successful MiG-29K/KUB trials on board the
Admiral Kuznetsov, which proved the advanced
fighters to be fit for operating from ski-jump
ramp-equipped aircraft carriers. It is this kind
of the carrier that the Admiral Gorshkov
through-deck cruiser will become after its
Indian Navy-ordered upgrade and modification
in Severomorsk has been complete.
A pending decision by the Russian
Defence Ministry on buying over two dozen
MiG-29K/KUB aircraft for the Admiral
Kuznetsovs air regiment now operating only
Su-33s as part of its fighter component is to
be just as important to the MiG corporation.
The RIA Novosti news agency reported on 30
September, citing its sources in the Defence
Ministry and defence industry, The Russian
Defence Ministry is going to buy 26 MiG-29K
carrierborne fighters for the Russian Navy until
year-end 2011. Developed on order from the
Indian Navy and produced by MiG Corp., the
MiG-29K/KUB are superior to the current
Su-33 operated by the 279th shipborne fighter
air regiment in terms of the weapon system and
carry a far wider range of precision guided muni-
tions. At the same time, for entering service with
the Russian Navy, the shipborne MiGs will
have, probably, to undergo some modifications
due to a number of foreign-made systems on
board the current MiG-29K/KUB. Apparently,
some of them will have to be replaced with
domestic analogues so that the Russian military
buy the planes.
The possibility of fielding the
MiG-29K/KUB with the Russian Navys air
arm does not mean, however, that they will
oust the current Su-33 carrierborne fighters
completely. During 199296, KnAAPO built
and delivered to the Navy a total of 26 produc-
tion aircraft of the type, most of which remains
in service by means of regular maintenance
and repair. The intent of the Russian Defence
Ministry to retain the Su-33 in its inventory for
years to come is proven, among other things,
by the requests for overhaul and upgrade of six
Su-33s and 12 engines for them in 200910.
The requests were published on the Russian
governments Web site (www.zakupki.gov.ru)
in October. They provide for extending the
assigned characteristics of the service life of
the Su-33 aircraft and their components to 700
flying hours or 1,500 landings, the time before
the first overhaul to 16 years and the assigned
life to 26 years. This means that the Su-33s
will be able to remain in service until 201822.
Hence, in the medium term, the shipborne
fighter fleet of the Russian Navy, probably, will
consist of two aircraft types the Su-33 and
MiG-29K/KUB.
MiG Corp. Director General Mikhail Pogosyan
(centre) and test pilots Nikolay Diorditsa
and Mikhail Belyayev following another deck
landing of the MiG-29KUB on the Admiral
Kuznetsov on 29 September 2009
The MiG-29K is unfolding its wing at the
launching area. Two minutes later, Pavel
Vlasov will take off from the Admiral
Kuznetsovs deck for the first time.
28 September 2009
Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyayev are
taking off on their MiG-29KUB on another test
flight from the ski-jump ramp
of the Admiral Kuznetsov