Iraq eyes potential MiG-29 procurement

[Zarvan]

Iraq is said to be interested in procuring a small number of MiG-29 'Fulcrum' combat aircraft, with negotiations reported to be ongoing. Source: Slovakian MoD
Iraq is considering the procurement of 'a small number' of MiG-29 'Fulcrum' aircraft to augment its fixed-wing combat capabilities, Russian media disclosed on 10 February.

The negotiations were revealed ahead of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin's two-day visit to Iraq to expand business and military co-operation ties between the two countries, the Kommersant newspaper reported.

No details pertaining to possible numbers, timelines, or associated weapons packages were forthcoming.

The Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) is in the middle of a major recapitalisation process, and is buying a number of different aircraft types to address both its short-term counterinsurgency (COIN) needs as well as its longer-term conventional air-defence and strike requirements.

The service's fixed-wing inventory is comprised of 6 Lockheed Martin F-16IQ Fighting Falcon (of 36 ordered) fighters; 10 Sukhoi Su-25 'Frogfoot' ground attack platforms; 4 Aero L-159A ALCA and L-159B Albatross IIs (of 15 ordered) light strike and trainer aircraft; 3 Lockheed Martin C-130E and 6 C-130J Hercules airlifters; 6 Antonov An-32 'Cline' transports; 1 Beechcraft King Air 350ER utility aircraft; 2 Seeker SB7L-360 surveillance/reconnaissance aircraft; 8 SAMA CH2000 MTSA surveillance/reconnaissance aircraft; 11 208B Grand Caravan trainers/light strike platforms; 15 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II trainers; 20 Lasta 95 trainers; and 18 Cessna 172 trainers.

In terms of the range between COIN and conventional capabilities, the MiG-29 certainly falls closer to the conventional end of the spectrum given that it was designed by the Soviet Union to be its top-end multirole fast jet, along with the Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker'. That said, it does have a potent air-to-surface capability that would be well-suited to the IqAF's current fight against Islamic State, with a weapons fit that includes an internal 30 mm Gryazev/Shipunov GSh-301 (TKB-687/9A4071K) cannon (with 150 AO-18 rounds), with a combination of four Kh-31A/P (AS-17 'Krypton') or four Kh-35 (AS-20 'Kayak') air-to-surface missiles (ASMs); four Kh-29T (AS-14 'Kedge') ASMs; or four KKAB-500Kr guided bombs.

Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options ihs.com/contact




To read the full article, Client Login
(336 of 496 words)

Iraq eyes potential MiG-29 procurement | IHS Jane's 360

 

[Max]

Good choice, but where are F-16?

 

[untitled]

Good choice, but where are F-16?

6 in Iraq rest in the US

 

[Zarvan]

Good choice, but where are F-16?

F-16 are coming and around 60 also MIG 29 will give them massive boost

 

[James David]

Why!? They haven't learned their lessons during the first Gulf War? Mig-29's swatted like flies in the skies!!!

Oh well some things never change! F-16's all the way!!!

 

[Super Falcon]

When next generation MIG 35 is for sale u can get why buy old jet i dont understand it is one step ahead 5 steps back for iraq airforce

Seems like they have PAF think tank in advicing them

 

[Ceylal]

Why!? They haven't learned their lessons during the first Gulf War? Mig-29's swatted like flies in the skies!!!

They weren't swatted due to the Western aircraft superiority, they were flying blind thanks to Jordanian larvae that bugged the Iraqi air defence computers, and to Yeltsin who give away the frequencies of every Russian missile that Iraq had in its arsenal

Oh well some things never change! F-16's all the way!!!

You need to ask the Egyptian, the Emeratis, the Turcs, the Moroccan and every muslim country that has them...and bought American aircraft fighters..

When next generation MIG 35 is for sale u can get why buy old jet i dont understand it is one step ahead 5 steps back for iraq airforce

Seems like they have PAF think tank in advicing them

Iraq need to hold off in dealing the Mig consortium...finish product's realibility and quality are questionable. I took the VVS 2 years to correct the defects of the Mig returned by Algeria before they were accepted...

 

[Super Falcon]

They weren't swatted due to the Western aircraft superiority, they were flying blind thanks to Jordanian larvae that bugged the Iraqi air defence computers, and to Yeltsin who give away the frequencies of every Russian missile that Iraq had in its arsenal


You need to ask the Egyptian, the Emeratis, the Turcs, the Moroccan and every muslim country that has them...and bought American aircraft fighters..


Iraq need to hold off in dealing the Mig consortium...finish product's realibility and quality are questionable. I took the VVS 2 years to correct the defects of the Mig returned by Algeria before they were accepted...

They before used Mig 29 but in saddam regime i dont know why saddam never built potent air arm with funds are available and russia willing to sell everything any how mig 29 saw its era of ruling time to move ahead

Remember TIME NEVER STANDS FOR ANYTHING SO WE NEED TO MOVE WITH TIME

 

[James David]

Naah! They were swatted like flies! Period! No if's! No butts errrrr but's!

They weren't swatted due to the Western aircraft superiority, they were flying blind thanks to Jordanian larvae that bugged the Iraqi air defence computers, and to Yeltsin who give away the frequencies of every Russian missile that Iraq had in its arsenal


You need to ask the Egyptian, the Emeratis, the Turcs, the Moroccan and every muslim country that has them...and bought American aircraft fighters..


Iraq need to hold off in dealing the Mig consortium...finish product's realibility and quality are questionable. I took the VVS 2 years to correct the defects of the Mig returned by Algeria before they were accepted...

 

[C130]

they need a squadron or two of Su-34.

not only could they hit the rats anywhere in Iraq but they could also hit them in Syria as well.

 

[ptldM3]

Why!? They haven't learned their lessons during the first Gulf War? Mig-29's swatted like flies in the skies!!!

Oh well some things never change! F-16's all the way!!!

In mock combat with good pilots, the F-16s were the ones that were swatted like flies. One F-16 took something like 16 archers from a German Mig-29.

 

[Kompromat]

But in REAL combat, every single time a Mig-29 met an F-16, the migs ended up in the scrap factory.

In mock combat with good pilots, the F-16s were the ones that were swatted like flies. One F-16 took something like 16 archers from a German Mig-29.

 

[Ceylal]

But in REAL combat, every single time a Mig-29 met an F-16, the migs ended up in the scrap factory.

realy? Let take Iraq and Syria out of the equation...Show us one instant that an F16 shoot got the best on a mig 29.? You got a positive rating on your answer, show us it's well earned....

Naah! They were swatted like flies! Period! No if's! No butts errrrr but's!

Algerian Air force used to conduct mock dog fight combat with the Belgian air force, which opposed AAF Mig 29s against their F16...the AAF won hand down at every confrontation...It is not the craft, its the pilot!

 

[Malik Alashter]

Bad decision no doubt.

If the MiG were good then we see it in big numbers with the Russian air force.

They should have went for some SU-30-34 But these people never learn.

 

[ptldM3]

But in REAL combat, every single time a Mig-29 met an F-16, the migs ended up in the scrap factory.

And in many of those instances the Mig-29s got into turning dogfights where they had superior advantages in Climb, high off bore missiles, HMS, low AOA, etc. The inexperienced Mig-29 pilots failed to capitalize on their advantages, were experiencing Mig-29 Pilots regularly moped the floor with F-16s to the point that the F-16 pilots stormed out of the briefing after at least one pilot took 16 archers.

It wasn't so much that the Mig-29 was a bad aircraft or the F-16/15 were so much better, it was the fact that the Mig-29 pilots were piss poor. In at least one instance a Mig-29 or perhaps mirage (either way they were Iraqi) got into a turning dogfight with an F-15. The F-15 scored a "kill" because the Iraqi pilot crashed.


You also forget that in Iraq and Yugoslavia coalition forces were aided by AWACS while Mig-29s were not (big disadvantage for the Mig-29). Stick Zimbabwe pilots in F-15s and have them face experienced Russian, Indian or Polish Mig-29 pilots with AWACS. Those F-15s would also be scrap metal.