Published: 12/12/1997

To put the MFI (Multifunctional Frontal Fighter) in the air is a point of honour for us," says Mikhail Korzhuev, the new general director of ANPK MiG (Aviation scientific-industrial complex MiG). The former head of the Russian Avionics company, he participated in avionics upgrade programmes on the Malaysian, German and Slovakian MiG-29s. Korzhuev has actively contributed to the creation of the new cockpit for the MiG-29SMT fighter funded by the MAPO bank. The new director sees his primary goal in keeping Mikoyan design bureau afloat by concentrating efforts on modernisation of operational MiG-29s. "The foreign market is getting smaller day by day, whereas the Russian defence ministry cannot afford the purchase of newly-built aircraft to renew the ageing Air force inventory. That is why we must focus on upgrade programmes on aircraft in service both in Russia and abroad", Korzhuev explained. The new course is to exploit the MiG-29 potential as fully as possible. According to Korzhuev, some 800 early-version MiG-29s are still in active service, needing modernisation to remain competitive with modern western fighters. On users' requests, these old MiGs can be fitted with improved radars with terrain-mapping and multi-target fire capabilities. This measure would allow us to use them effectively against both aerial and ground targets, and perform pin-point strikes with precise munitions. (DF1297.2) (VK)

Article ID: 107