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MiG-29SMT Program

In 1995, 'MAPO' MIG began flight testing an upgraded MiG-29SM prototype, precursor to the SMT now being offered to all MiG-29 operators. In 1998 a decision was made by the Defense Ministry to launch a quantity-modernization program of the MiG-29 fighters. The SMT upgrade (Product 9-17) program was officially sanctioned in September 1998 with authorisation for modernisation of up to 180 in-service MiG-29s of the Russian Air Force. These aircraft were to receive upper fuselage conformal fuel tanks and comprehensive avionics upgrade, with options for increased thrust engine, new wing, EW system, electro-optic pods and new weapons capability.

A total of 150 to 180 modernized MiG-29SMTs were to be introduced in service with the Russian Air Force. Extensive modernization is planned only of the aircraft produced through the previous decade. This would provide a dramatic increase in combat capabilities of the Russian Air Force. The modernization program started in September 1998 by the Kubinka military aircraft-repair plant and the MAPO MIG. The first batch of 10 to 15 MiG-29SMTs was to be delivered before the end of the year. In 1999, a total of 20 to 30 MiG-29 fighters were modernized into the MiG-29SMT version, claimed to be approaching fifth-generation fighters in terms of characteristics. Starting from the year 2000, the program's annual modernization rate was planned to reach 40 MiG-29SMTs. The overall plan provided for modernization of 150 recently manufactured MiG-29s, with the remainder of the older aircraft being withdrawn from service (presently there are 330 MiG-29 aircraft in Russian combat units and 130 in training units).

An avionics/cockpit mock-up that was a rebuilt Fulcrum A (925) displayed in August 1997 at Moscow Air Show. The first flight of the MiG-29 SMT took place on 22 April 1998 from the Zhukovski military airfield. It was the first of three or four trials aircraft preceded by the first flight of the SMT prototype on 29 November 1997.

The first series production MiG-29SMT upgrade, 01 Blue (also marked '172' in small white numerals on the fin tip), was rolled out by the manufacturer on 29 December 1998. The aircraft was due to be moved by road the following day to Zhukovsky for its first flight, prior to being flown to Lipetsk early in the new year to begin service testing with the Russian Air Force. In original plan MIG 'MAPO' would have delivered 10 to 15 upgraded aircraft in 1998, 30 in 1999 and 40 per year from 2000 until all 180 had been redelivered. The Russian Air Force also planned to upgrade 124 MiG-29UB trainers to MiG-29UBT, equivalent to SMT configuration. Financial difficulties prevented delivery of more than three MiG-29 SMT aircraft to the Russian Air Force.

The MiG-29SMT aircraft was in serial production since 2004 and was supplied to customers. The RAC "MiG" upgraded the aircraft previously supplied to a number of Customers into the MiG-29SMT type. By late 2003 the company had booked 20 firm orders for MiG-29SMT. This aircraft is already known in the Arab world, since Yemen became its launch customer. In addition, MiG-29SMTs have been ordered by Eritrea.

Yemen's government ordered six new MiG-29SMT fighters, two training-and-combat MiG-29Ubs and the modernization of another 12 aircraft up to the level of MiG-29SMT. A new radar "Zhuk-ME" mounted on these machines makes them different from a regular model. The parties came to an agreement that Yemen was supposed to receive first aircraft back in late 2003 and it was stipulated that the contract would be fully completed this year. However, MiG was able to supply a mere two training-and-combat MiG-29UB and only mid-year.

According to the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo, by early 2004 Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez was ready to buy up to 50 new Russian MIG-29SMT Fulcrum combat aircrafts, 40 Mi-35 helicopters and 100,000 AK-47 assault rifles in an operation estimated in $8 billion.

On December 23, 2004 MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation gained the 'Golden idea' national award, established by Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, in nomination "For development of defence products for exports" on the results of 2003 for development of MiG-29SMT fighter aircraft. Awards were handed to MiG Corp. (Mikoyan design bureau, Fedotov Flight-Testing Center) representatives, as well as to its main partners in this project - FSPC Ramenskoye Instrument Design Bureau, "Fazotron-NIIR" JSC and Russian Air Force State Flight-testing Center representatives.

As of February 2005, upgraded MiG-29SMT fighters were manufactured for export to Yemen and Eritrea, but had yet to be ordered by Russia.

The contract for the delivery of 28 MiG-29SMT fighters and six MiG-29UBT trainers worth 1.27 billion USD to Algeria was signed in late January 2006 and entered into force in March of 2006, during the visit of President Putin. Algeria received between two to four MiG-29UBT in December 2006, and by April 2007 MiG Corporation had transferred 15 MiG-29SMT/UBT. However, in April 2007 the Algerian military stopped making payments on the contract and made several claims regarding the quality of the transferred aircraft. By the end of 2007, the Federal Agency for Military-Technical Cooperation, Rosoboroneksport and MiG Corporation came to the conclusion that the best solution to the crisis was to agree to take back the fighters and attempt to replace the MiG-29SMT contract with other agreements.

In early 2008 it was reported that the Russian Air Force was commissioning the 15 fighters Mig-29SMT Algeria had refused.

Criminal charges have been laid against the top management of a company accused of providing low-quality equipment for MiG-29 fighters later rejected by Algeria, Russia's business daily Kommersant reported 18 September 2009. Musail Ismailov, chief of the Aviaremsnab company, and his deputy Alexander Kutumov are currently serving jail terms for similar offences. They were convicted for fraud in May after investigators determined the company used forged certificates and tags on old aviation equipment and sold it as new to the MiG company. Under the $14.3 million contract, Aviaremsnab was to supply MiG with new spare parts and equipment. The company received $1.7 million in advance payments for components made in 2005-2006, but received products manufactured between 1982 and 1996, with forged certificates.

In 2011, Musail Ismailov, the head of the Aviaremsnab company that supplied MiG with faulty parts, was sentenced to two years in prison while serving a 5.5-year sentence for a fraud involving deliveries of inferior quality equipment to the Polish air force. Three Russian businessmen involved in the MiG-29 fraud were convicted by a Moscow court in May, 2012. One of them was sentenced to a 5-year prison term and the other two received hefty fines. A criminal case against former first deputy director general of the MiG Aircraft Corporation Sergei Tsivilev and his deputy, Oleg Fadeyev, was closed in December 2012 as its statute of limitations period had expired.

Kommersant daily reported 07 June 2013 that a Moscow court has given a four-year suspended sentence to the last defendant in the criminal case over deliveries of low-quality equipment for MiG-29 fighters that were rejected by Algeria in 2007. The Moscow city court announced the sentencing for Mikael Kazaryan at a closed session. The suspended sentence is a result of a plea bargain between the defendant and the prosecutors. Criminal charges against Kazaryan, former general director of the Rezon company that sold the MiG Aircraft Corporation outdated equipment using forged certificates and tags, were brought in 2012 as part of a broader case involving several MiG officials and businessmen.

Kommersant daily reported 17 August 2013 that MiG may soon receive an order for MiG-29SMT fighter jets from the Defense Ministry, citing a source as saying that both sides were “ready to consider the purchase of such planes for delivery by 2016.” The Russian Defense Ministry and the MiG aircraft corporation have agreed the purchase of 16 MiG-29SMT fighter jets until 2016. The agreement is part of the government’s effort to keep the struggling combat aircraft maker afloat following the announced delay of the contract on the purchase of 37 MiG-35 fighters until after 2016. “The MiG corporation will have three years to perfect the design of its MiG-35 aircraft and prepare its smooth transition to mass production,” the source told Kommersant on condition of anonymity.

On 07 March 2020, a Syrian Air Force MiG-29SMT fighter plane crashed near Shairat Air Force Base in Homs Province. The pilot Iounes Makedid failed to rescue the plane and was eventually killed. The Syrian Air Force investigation results confirmed that the crash of the MiG-29 was due to a mechanical failure. After comprehensive inspection, it was found that there were also many quality problems in the other 12 MiG-29s. Russia sold a batch of MiG-29SMT fighters to Syria at extremely low prices. This fighter was specifically designed with a larger tank back, and its range increased from 2,900 kilometers in the early MiG-29 to the current 3500 kilometers. The MiG 29SMT is also equipped with a "Beetle ME" pulse Doppler radar. The avionics system is greatly improved compared to the earlier MiG-29. According to Russian statements: the MiG-29SMT can compete with the F-16C/D. The main force of the Turkish Air Force is exactly the F-16C/D fighter, so the Syrian Air Force originally had high hopes for the MiG 29SMT.

The MiG 29SMT fighters that Russia sold to Syria are a batch of "refurbished aircraft." In 2010, Russia provided Algeria with 50 MiG 29SMT fighters. Later, Algeria discovered that these fighters were produced using defective parts. Therefore, Algeria returned the 50 MiG 29SMT. The Russian 14th Fighter Aviation Regiment continued to use this. The batch of MiG 29 fighters was approved. Until the 14th Fighter Aviation Group replaced the more advanced Su-30SM, the 50 MiG 29SMTs were sealed, and some of them were sold to the Syrian Air Force.

The Turkish Air Force is currently equipped with more than 200 F16C / D fighters. The only thing the Syrian Air Force can fight is the MiG 29SMT. In addition, Russia has also sold a batch of R77 air-to-air missiles to Syria. Fly, let Idlib's air control completely fall into the hands of Turkey. By 2020 Syria intended to imitate Algeria's method, return the batch of MiG-29s and buy another fighter instead.