#mig 29

A winking Fulcrum. This MiG-29 shows off its unique FOD (Foreign Object Damage) engine intake system, with one door deployed and the other open. These clever doors protect the engines from debris during taxi, takeoff, and landing, making rough or unprepared airstrip operations safe.

The US military is no stranger to MiG-29s. Since the 1991 Gulf War, American pilots have faced the Fulcrum in almost every kinetic conflict and across countless exercises. In close quarters, the MiG remains a dangerous foe: strong thrust to weight and the helmet-cued AA-11 AAM make it a credible WVR threat. But modern Western doctrine is built around the AMRAAM. The fight is usually shaped, and often decided, long before the merge. The MiG-29 can still turn hard. The real question is whether it will ever get the chance. 2/2

The F-14 may be IRIAF’s poster child, but the jet US crews are far more likely to see on their radar is the MiG-29. After taking a beating in June, Tehran reportedly rushed in an additional batch of Fulcrums from Russia in September. Operating largely from Mehrabad, Shiraz, and Tabriz, the MiG-29 is Iran’s primary point-defense/QRA fighter, the last manned layer over Tehran once the SAM rings are stressed or gone. 1/2