Pakistan Defence
Mig-29 was developed as a direct response for US F-16. Both of these fighters are now upgraded to several versions that make them 4th Gen fighter.
The main specifications for these jets are as follows:
Mig-29 UPG/SMT:
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 or 2
- Length: 17.37 m (57 ft)
- Wingspan: 11.4 m (37 ft 3 in)
- Height: 4.73 m (15 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 38 m² (409 ft²)
- Empty weight: 13,380 kg (29,498 lb)
- Loaded weight: 17,500 kg (38,581 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 22,400 kg (49,383.54 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Klimov RD-33MK afterburning turbofans, 9,000 kgf (88.26 kN, 19,840 lbf) each
- Maximum speed:
- High altitude: Mach 2.35 (2,600 km/h, 1,491 mph)
- Low altitude: Mach 1.4 (1,500 km/h, 932 mph)
- Ferry range: 2,000 km(1,240 mi)/ 3,000 km (1,860 mi) (twin seat)
- Service ceiling: 17,500 m (57,500 ft)
- Rate of climb: 330 m/s[34] (65,000 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 442 kg/m² (90.5 lb/ft²)
- Thrust/weight: 1.02
- 1 × 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon with 150 rounds
- 8 under wing, weapons hardpoints plus a centerline hardpoint for up to 5,500 kg (12,125 lb) of external fuel and ordnance
- Air-air missiles: 8 × R-73E, 8 × R-77 (RVV-AE), 4 × R-27
- Air-surface missiles: 4 × Kh-29T(TE), 4 × Kh-31A, 4 × Kh-31P, Kh-35E
- Guided bombs: 4 × KAB-500Kr
- Unguided bombs: 4 × FAB-500
- Cluster bombs: 4 × RBK-250, 4 × RBK-500, 4 × RBK-750
- Unguided rocket pods: 4 × S-8 rocket pod, 6 × S-25 rockets
F-16 Blk 50/52+:
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
- Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
- Height: 16 ft (4.88 m)
- Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
- Airfoil: NACA 64A204 root and tip
- Empty weight: 18,900 lb (8,570 kg)
- Loaded weight: 26,500 lb (12,000 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 42,300 lb (19,200 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × F110-GE-100 afterburning turbofan
- Dry thrust: 17,155 lbf (76.3 kN)
- Thrust with afterburner: 28,600 lbf (127 kN)
- Maximum speed:
- Combat radius: 340 mi (295 nmi, 550 km)on a hi-lo-hi mission with four 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
- Ferry range: 2,280 nmi(2,620 mi, 4,220 km)with drop tanks
- Service ceiling: 50,000+ ft[1] (15,240+ m)
- Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
- Wing loading: 88.3 lb/ft² (431 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 1.095
- Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatling cannon, 511 rounds
- Hardpoints: 2× wing-tip Air-to-air missile launch rails, 6× under-wing & 3× under-fuselage pylon stations holding up to 17,000 lb (7,700 kg) of disposable stores
- Rockets:
- Missiles:
- Bombs:
- 8× CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition
- 8× CBU-89 Gator mine
- 8× CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon
- 4× Mark 84 general-purpose bombs
- 8× Mark 83 GP bombs
- 12× Mark 82 GP bombs
- 8× GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
- 4× GBU-10 Paveway II
- 6× GBU-12 Paveway II
- 4× GBU-24 Paveway III
- 4× GBU-27 Paveway III
- 4× Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) series
- 4× AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
- Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD)
- B61 nuclear bomb
- Others:
- SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod or
- AN/ALQ-131 & AN/ALQ-184 ECM pods or
- LANTIRN, Lockheed Martin Sniper XR & LITENING targeting pods or
- up to 3× 300/330/370/600 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/loitering time or
- UTC Aerospace DB-110 long range EO/IR sensor pod on centerline
- AN/APG-68 radar
- MIL-STD-1553 bus
From the above specifications it is clear that Mig-29smt/upg has better range, speed, ceiling and rate of climb. Both can carry various A2A and A2G armaments. Not sure about the difference in radars Phazotron Zhuk-ME and AN/APG-68.
Can it be safe to say that both are equally potent and one cannot be more superior to the other?