A major Russian aerobatic group, the Strizhi (Swift), has received a highly upgraded and advanced variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum instead of MiG-35s.

“On December 5, a historic event for “Strizhi” took place. After theoretical and practical retraining, we overtook the first batch of MiG-29 SMT. This is a deep modernization of the MiG-29,” said the Aviation Aerobatics Group (AGVP) Strizhi in a message. 

Further, the AGVP noted that the fighters will receive the usual “Strizhi” coloring and will be put into service in the future. However, the announcement stopped short of specifying a schedule for the aircraft’s induction. 

Strizhi is an aerobatics group established on May 6, 1991, using the finest pilots from the Kubinka airbase near Moscow. It is part of the Aviation Equipment Demonstration Center named after I. N. Kozheduba (the legendary Soviet and Allied fighter pilot of World War II who had the highest number of kills) and performs group and single aerobatics on multi-purpose, highly maneuverable MiG-29 fighters.

Until now, the team has only performed with the MiG-29 and MiG-29UB fighters, which have become obsolete.

The AGVP also said in its announcement that “Strizhi” believes that the MiG-29 SMT is the first stage in the group’s ultimate dream of getting the MiG-35. Strizhi has been seeking the MiG-35 for several years. Previous reports indicated that the team would transition from the MiG-29 to the MiG-35 once the testing is completed.

The MiG-35 is essentially an upgraded multirole variant of the MiG-29, a further development of the MiG-29M/M2, claimed to be 4++ generation. However, the aircraft has failed to generate interest in the export market and has been dismissed as a ‘failure’ by critics. According to some reports, only eight models of the aircraft have been built to date.

The first two serially manufactured MiG-35s were delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in June 2019. These featured upgraded Klimov RD-33MK engines with 9-ton thrust, updated tail fins, and an active-array (AESA) radar that could simultaneously track up to 30 targets.

In May 2021, while still in trials, MiG-35 was granted a preliminary certificate for limited-series manufacturing. The aircraft reportedly went into production and was allegedly deployed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Strizhi, for its part, has yet to get the MiG-35 fighter jet. Nonetheless, the MiG-29STM would likely act as a stopgap solution until the group finally takes delivery of the MiG-35, which has had no foreign takers.

Moreover, the MiG-29SMT is the most advanced variant of the aircraft that the Strizhi will fly, giving this aerobatic team a significant leap and an exciting aerial demo for spectators who attend Russia’s air shows.

MiG-29SMT For Strizhi 

The MiG-29SMT is a highly modernized variant of the combat-hardened MiG-29 fighter jet.

According to some accounts, the MiG-29 was upgraded to the SMT standard because Russia needed a new, more advanced aircraft as an answer to the Western fighters, including F-16, Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, and Gripens in the 1990s. However, it did not have the funds to develop a new fifth-generation aircraft, which led to the conception of an advanced MiG-29 that would be relevant in the 21st century.

The prototype MiG-29SMT completed its first flight in April 1998 and entered serial production in 2004.

Thanks to its high-precision air-to-air and air-to-surface weaponry, the upgraded aircraft can deliver high combat efficiency against targets on the ground, in the air, and at sea. It includes various advanced features, including increased weapons carriage capacity, more fuel tanks, an upgraded engine, and improved cockpit and avionics. The aircraft features two fixed wings with square-cut wing tips that sweep rearward. Two vertical stabilizers are installed on the back. 

The aircraft can also be equipped with two Kh-29TE, two Kh-29L, and four Kh-25ML air-to-surface missiles, two Kh-31A anti-ship missiles, and two Kh-31P anti-radar missiles.

The aircraft’s open-architecture mission computer has a data interchange multiplex channel for integrating various avionics systems according to the operator’s needs. The optional equipment consists of radio stations, an electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod, an enhanced infrared search and track system (IRSTS), and various identification, friend or foe (IFF) transponders.

The aircraft has been sold to countries like Algeria, Yemen, and Syria. The MiG-29SMT was expected to enter the Russian Aerospace Forces earlier, but financial constraints and the need to modernize the fleet with more advanced fighters have put those plans on the back burner. However, with its handover to the Strizhi aerobatic team, this cutting-edge combat aircraft has a new role.

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