RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY IS GOING TO RETURN THE AGEING MIG-29S TO THE TROOPS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 25, 2009 Wednesday
Russia

The Russian Defense Ministry takes emergency measures for return of
MiG-29 fighters to the troops. Flights of the fighters were prohibited
because of the numerous detected age destructions and defects of their
constructions. The Defense Ministry announced a tender for the repair
of 97 tails of the MiGs. Results of the tender will be summed up on
April 17 and all work should be done until December 5 of 009. The
price of the contract is almost 15 million rubles.

So far, many MiG-29s remain on the ground. The famous piloting group
Strizhi started flying them again in February. Along with this, only
one combat training MiG-29UB of 24 airplanes was admitted to flights
in the 14th fighter aviation regiment in Kursk (Khalino airfield). To
maintain flight practice of the pilots command had to move several
airplanes being in good repair to Khalino from the nearest 28th fighter
aviation regiment in Andreapol (Tver Region). The regiment in Kursk
also received ten new MiG-29SMT fighters rejected by Algeria. However,
pilots will be able to fly at them only after the relevant retraining.

At the beginning of 2009, the Russian fleet of MiG-29s included 291
airplanes. Five aviation regiments, four training centers and the
Russian air base in Armenia are armed with them.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress