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Russia Mikoyan (MiG)
MiG-29
Twin-engine, highly maneuverable light air-superiority fighter developed during the Cold War and exported to dozens of air forces. Remains in widespread service, particularly among former Soviet-bloc and non-aligned operators, though many airframes are now dated relative to Western equivalents.
In service since 1982 · 25 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
2,400
km/h
1,500
km range
18,013
m ceiling
3,500
kg payload
1.09
T/W
💲 ≈ $29,000,000, Disputed and highly variable by era and variant. Export prices ran roughly USD 20 to 25 million for basic MiG-29 models in the late 1980s and 1990s, rose to USD 25 to 35 million for the modernized MiG-29SMT in the 2000s, and reached a reported USD 30 to 40 million for India's MiG-29K naval variant in 2004. USD 29 million falls within this documented spread but reflects an average across variants, not one confirmed price.
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Russian state channel
Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.
Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 25 operators
In service since 1982. Status: active · ~1,600 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$73M – $102M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the MiG-29 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Powerplant
The MiG-29's engine has its own full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 2,400 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 2.25 Mach |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 1,500 km |
| Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range. | 700 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 18,013 m |
| Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up. On a standalone engine record, this is the engine's own thrust divided by its dry weight, the standard figure of merit for jet engines. | 1.09 |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon |
|---|---|
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 7 |
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 3,500 kg |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers. | chaff, flares, Gardenia EW suite (later variants) |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 17.32 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 11.36 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 4.73 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 11,000 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 18,500 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 1 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | 2x Klimov RD-33 afterburning turbofans |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 2 |
| Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable). | 81 kN |
| Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume. | 4,300 L |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turbofan |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | N019 Rubin pulse-Doppler radar (baseline) |
|---|---|
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | OEPS-29 infrared search and track |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $29,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 1,600 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 25 |
Specifications compiled from public Mikoyan (MiG) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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KF-21 Boramae Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 has a maximum speed of 2,400 km/h.
What is the range of the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 has a maximum range of 1,500 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 can carry up to 3,500 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 weigh? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 has a combat weight of 18,500 kg.
How many crew does the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 require? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29's primary weapon is the 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon.
What engine does the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 use? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 is powered by the 2x Klimov RD-33 afterburning turbofans.
What is the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 used for? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, multirole combat.
How many countries operate the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 is operated by 25 countries.
How much does the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 cost? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-29 has an approximate unit cost of 29,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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