Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 232 The Mikoyan Design Bureau was deeply insulted.
British Aerospace, Power Division.

"We just received news that Pakistan has officially terminated its contract to purchase medium-range air-to-air missiles from us."

Herman frowned: "Shouldn't Pakistan send a delegation to renegotiate with us? Why did they agree so quickly?"

"Yes."

Although this was their decision, it is unusual that they were allowed to terminate the contract without demanding compensation or going to court!

"The weapon interfaces are all the same, so Pakistan has probably decided to buy Sparrows from us in the US. When they make this request, we will continue to pressure them to purchase our F-16 fighter jets," Chiralk said with a smile.

"Report! Report!" Just then, someone rushed out again: "Breaking intelligence! The East has revealed their Lightning-20 air-to-air missile. It's a long-range air-to-air missile. The East used it in conjunction with J-8 fighter jets to successfully shoot down a MiG-25!"

Chiralk's face turned serious: "Let me see!"

Upon taking a look, Hilark immediately laughed: "I thought it was something else, but it's our phoenix!"

Starting from the middle of the missile body and extending to the tail, four large delta fins, along with four rectangular tail fins, constitute the main external features of the missile, making it an absolute phoenix!

But... how did the Easterners get their hands on the Phoenix missile? Did they have some secret dealings with Lang Tuo? Or did they design it based on the appearance of the Hawk missile?
Let's look at the introduction below.

As we all know, to achieve ultra-long range, a high-altitude trajectory is required. The thin air at high altitudes allows the missile to generate sufficient lift from four large triangular wings. After repeated comparisons, we chose this aerodynamic layout. The Soviet R-33 missile also used a similar structure. It can only be said that this is the best solution for high-altitude missiles; different paths lead to the same goal...

The R-33 missile is a long-range air-to-air missile that the Russians equipped with for the MiG-31! It looks similar to the Phoenix, except that the delta wing is pointed to make it easier to carry, hence the nickname Phoenix-ski.

So, it's no big deal that our Eastern long-range air-to-air missile adopts a similar aerodynamic shape. You Americans shouldn't always be so prejudiced and make assumptions!
The missile's seeker uses the most advanced digital circuit technology in the East, boasting a long search range, low heat generation, and requiring only one weapon interface on the weapon mount...

This means that refrigeration is no longer needed. Based on this, we can infer that it has nothing to do with the Phoenix, because Langtuo's Phoenixes are all the earliest Type A, which cannot be used without refrigeration.

"Hmph, even if they create a missile similar to the Phoenix, it won't make a difference. After all, the overload of such a missile is too small, so it can only be used to attack bombers, not fighters!" Shilark finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I thought Pakistan would use this missile to replace Skyflash. It's so big and slow in the air. A fighter jet could easily dodge it with a simple maneuver!

"I need to go back and find Raytheon to discuss a collaborative project."

"Okay, we look forward to hearing from you."

At this point, the Americans were still full of confidence and certain of victory.

On the other side, near Moscow, at the Gromov Flight Test Site.

Decades ago, the exceptionally talented Mikoyan met the equally gifted Gurevich. The two hit it off immediately, sharing the same vision and working together to create the famous MiG fighter jet.

In the early days of the propeller era, MiG fighters were primarily designed for high-altitude operations and were not as well-known as Yak fighters. However, in the jet era, MiG fighters quickly took over the skies and, along with the Sukhoi Design Bureau, became a pillar of the Russian air force.

Sukhoi Design Bureau's aircraft were mainly supplied to the homeland air defense forces and were not exported, so they were not well-known. It was only after the collapse of the Soviet Union that the Su-27, which was originally only for domestic use, was exported in large quantities, which ushered in Sukhoi's glorious era. Meanwhile, the MiG aircraft gradually declined due to its defeats in several wars and eventually ended up being acquired by Sukhoi.

The MiG Design Bureau remains glorious, arrogant, and disdainful of its Middle Eastern allies. Especially now that these guys are trying to return the MiG-25s—even a nephew can't tolerate that!
Ivan Mikoyan, dressed in a suit, stood on the tarmac and introduced the MiG-29 fighter jet next to him to a group of short-sighted people from the Middle East.

He was the fourth son of Anastasia Ivanovich Mikoyan, a famous Russian politician, and the nephew of Artem Ivanovich Mikoyan, the founder of the MiG Design Bureau. According to many accounts, the glory of the MiG Design Bureau came from this politician brother of aircraft designer Mikoyan, and all resources were given priority to the Mikoyan Design Bureau.

There is certainly some bias, but the main reason is the hard work of Mikoyan and Gurevich themselves; those aircraft were truly excellent!

The founder, Mikoyan, is getting old. Born in 1929, Ivan Mikoyan is now over fifty years old and has become the deputy chief designer of the MiG-29. Now, he is the one receiving these guests from the Middle East.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the aircraft next to me is the world's most advanced MiG-29 fighter jet. As you can see, the fuselage and wings are indistinguishable because it features a state-of-the-art blended wing-body design! The overall appearance of the aircraft is very beautiful..."

To be fair, the MiG-29 is indeed very beautiful. The nose is high up, with the air intakes and engines below, making it look like a two-story building. The fuselage and inner wing sections transition smoothly, and with the beautiful leading-edge extensions, the wing-body blending section accounts for 40% of the total lift. Behind it are tall twin vertical tails.

As Dassault once said, a good plane must first and foremost be a beautiful plane. In this respect, the Mirage doesn't perform well. What you see here is definitely one of the most beautiful planes ever made!

“That’s right, this plane is really beautiful!” Hamid nodded. Now it looks like a proper airplane. The previous planes were just rough, not elegant!

"Come on, let's look at the engine. It uses two Klimov Design Bureau RD33 engines, each with a maximum thrust of five tons and an afterburner thrust of 8.3 tons. This one engine alone is more powerful than the Super 7 you have!"

"Yes, can this engine be installed in our Super 7?"

Ivan Mikoyan felt a lump in his throat. Talking about other planes right in front of us? You Ivans are getting more and more outspoken! You've completely lost the humility you had when you last visited us!
Damn it, I'm going to get you all drunk at the dinner party and let off some steam!

"To accommodate takeoffs and landings at frontline airports, we've added auxiliary air intakes to the upper part of the leading-edge extensions. During takeoff and landing, the belly air intake can be closed, and air enters through the louvers and 887 small holes of the auxiliary air intake. This helps prevent the intake of ground debris..."

The Americans felt the F-15 was too expensive, so they developed the F-16, creating a high-low mix. As for the Russians' MiG-29 and Su-27, many laymen also say it's a high-low mix, but in reality, that's complete nonsense.

The Su-27 has a large airframe and a long range. From the beginning, it was designed according to the requirements of the homeland air defense force and is a long-range interceptor. The MiG-29 has a medium airframe and also has this auxiliary air intake. From the beginning, it was developed to meet the needs of the air force's forward bases. The two have different roles.

Frontline fighter jets don't need a long range, since the battlefield is only two or three hundred kilometers away after takeoff. However, they must be able to adapt to the conditions of frontline field airfields. In the worst times, there isn't even a paved runway; it's just a dirt runway with a lot of debris on it!
As a result, the MiG-29 already had insufficient airframe space, and the addition of auxiliary air intakes resulted in very low internal fuel capacity, limiting its range to a mere two thousand kilometers! And this was even with external fuel tanks!

"Hmm, what kind of radar does this plane use?" Hamid continued to ask.

"Our MiG-29 uses our own advanced fire control system, which includes radar, helmet-mounted sights, and electro-optical sensors. Combined with air-to-air missiles with large off-boresight launch angles, this gives the aircraft excellent performance."

"Is it possible to snipe an opponent from 100 kilometers away? Like the results achieved by Pakistan?"

Ivan Mikoyan felt the air in his chest getting bigger and bigger, making him feel extremely suffocated.

What a joke!
The MiG-29 uses the N-193 radar, a pulse-Doppler system, but it uses a standard inverted K-193 antenna. Its maximum search range is 80 kilometers, and its tracking range is 56 kilometers in the front hemisphere and 24 kilometers in the rear hemisphere. At most, the performance of this radar is comparable to that of the American APG-65.

Want to snipe a target from 100 kilometers away? What a joke! Even the radar on the Su-27 might not be able to do that! Only the phased array radar used on the MiG-31 has this capability, but the MiG-31 cannot be sold! This MiG-29 was only sold to them because Igor was extremely dissatisfied with the MiG-25 and even made a fuss about returning it.

When have the Russians ever had an airplane returned? If word got out, they'd lose face! That's why they brought out their most prized possession—the MiG-29 is still in test flights! The Russian Air Force hasn't even equipped itself with it yet!

Of course, this is just a transfer of orders; delivery will still take several years.

“Our aircraft has excellent maneuverability. We will give you an aerial demonstration later, and then… you will know just how powerful this aircraft is.” Ivan Mikoyan tried hard to suppress his anger.

With the roar of the engine, the MiG-29 fighter jet took off in less than 200 meters under the watchful eyes of the group of Iranian fighters. Its maneuverability was absolutely insane!
"Gentlemen, just one takeoff is enough to show how maneuverable our aircraft is, isn't it?" Ivan Mikoyan said with a smile.

"Isn't this plane's engine... too outdated? Why is there so much black smoke?" Hamid asked.

This reminded the camels of those dilapidated old cars on the highway, always trailing a plume of black smoke! Now, those old, broken-down cars are flying!
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is not backwardness. It's just that our engines prioritize reliability and use short annular combustion chambers. At low altitudes, fuel atomization is insufficient, and the fuel particles cannot be completely burned. This does not mean that the aircraft's performance is backward."

"How can we not be lagging behind? Our Super 7 uses the RB199 engine, which doesn't emit black smoke."

"I said we're not lagging behind, and that's what I mean. Do you still want to watch our air show?" Ivan Mikoyan finally couldn't hold back anymore, his face darkening. "Are you here to deliberately cause trouble?"

Hamid was taken aback: "Okay, we're not lagging behind, we're not lagging behind, we admit that the MiG-29's engine is very advanced... This engine has a lifespan of several thousand hours?"

"Oh, damn it, are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?" Ivan Mikoyan could no longer contain himself: "Does engine lifespan matter? Based on our experience in World War II, new aircraft can be shot down within fifty hours! Our engines have an overhaul interval of three hundred hours, and a total lifespan of nine hundred hours after two overhauls, which is more than enough!"

During the Cold War, the Russians' experience was based on World War II, including deep battle theory and aircraft lifespan, but they neglected the needs of peacetime.

If a war were to break out, the Russians' approach would definitely be correct. However, if a war doesn't break out, then the Russians' approach would be a clear disadvantage!
As they were talking, the roar of the engines returned. After takeoff, the MiG-29 made a small-diameter turn in the airspace ahead and came back into everyone's sight. It was seen strolling leisurely and swaying, demonstrating its low-speed performance!

Other aircraft would crash at that speed, but the MiG-29 is different. Its minimum speed is tens of kilometers per hour lower than other fighter jets! The fact that it flies so slowly yet remains so stable fully demonstrates its excellent performance!

As the plane flew up in front of everyone, the tail engine once again emitted thick black smoke, and the nose of the plane quickly rose up, like a spring shoot up from the ground!
Vertical climb!

We just demonstrated the aerodynamic design; now we're demonstrating the power performance!

The MiG-29 has an empty weight of only 11 tons, and even with three tons of fuel, it only weighs fourteen tons. Its two engines can provide more than sixteen tons of thrust, so it can easily climb vertically!
This is the advantage of using twin engines; even a single-engine F-16 doesn't have such powerful thrust!

Whoosh!
Amidst billowing black smoke, the MiG-29 rapidly climbed upwards, its speed increasing exponentially! This single maneuver captivated the hearts of the Langtuo people; none of their fighter jets had ever been able to perform such a feat!
After a powerful leap, a half-roll inverted turn, a backward half-turn, a somersault...

As each movement was performed, the visitors to Langtuo Village widened their eyes and drooled with delight.

Hmph, seeing the maneuverability of our planes, you're finally envious, aren't you? Later we'll have to ask you for more money, so you'll know that advanced fighter jets are bound to be expensive!
In the afternoon, at the Mikoyan Design Bureau, in the conference room.

“You have all seen the excellent performance of our aircraft and are very satisfied with it. Next, let’s talk about the contract,” Ivan Mikoyan began.

"Yes, we are very satisfied with the aircraft's maneuverability. However, we still want to ask some key questions, such as the performance of its onboard radar. Can it guide missiles to attack targets 100 kilometers away?"

"No, no! I really don't understand you. What's the point of attacking a target a hundred kilometers away?" Ivan Mikoyan was furious!

"Because our adversaries have missiles with a range of over 100 kilometers. If the MiG-29 doesn't have that capability... then forget it."

This is a strict requirement!
Now, Yi Tuo is preparing for war and is about to start a battle with Lang Tuo on the other side. Whatever Lang Tuo has, Yi Tuo must have it too.

In terms of air power, Langtuo is the most powerful. Those Tomcat fighters... although it is unknown how many can still fly, as long as they exist, they are a huge threat, after all, the Tomcat fighters can carry Phoenix missiles with a range of more than 100 kilometers.

What's the point of the MiG-25 flying high and fast? It can still be shot down by a missile that looks a lot like the Phoenix.

The Izvest Air Force urgently needs fighter jets like the Tomcat, especially the matching missiles!
Despite the MiG-25's massive nose, the radar crammed inside is incredibly primitive and outdated. While many commentators believe it could burn a rabbit alive, in reality, if you put a rabbit inside the radar's equipment bay, it really could be roasted to death. Most of the energy would be converted into heat, with very little electromagnetic radiation actually being emitted.

The accompanying missiles have a maximum range of only forty kilometers, which is not very useful.

The MiG-29 in front of us does have good maneuverability, but... what's the point if its fire control and radar systems are so poor?
Ivan Mikoyan looked extremely grim.

"That's impossible. Missiles with a range of more than 100 kilometers are too big and have too low overload. They can only deal with targets like bombers, and are ineffective against fighter jets."

Needless to say, even the radar of a Su-27 can't illuminate that far, let alone a MiG-25! What are these Iranians thinking?!
"How is it ineffective? Isn't the MiG-25 a fighter jet? Wasn't it shot down by a long-range missile with a range of 100 kilometers?"

"Mr. Hamid, what exactly are you here for? You want fighter jets, and we've already provided you with the most advanced ones! Now, you're still bringing up a single battle example! Are you trying to humiliate us? You damned bastards, what do you know about air combat!"

"We don't understand aerial combat, but... we do know that there are already records of long-range kills, so we..."

"Hmph, the MiG-29 is already the most advanced fighter jet in the world. As long as we lift the export restrictions, I don't know how many countries will want to buy it. If you want it, you'd better place your order quickly. If you wait too long, you might have to wait three to five years!"

The camels exchanged glances, and then... gave each other a look.

"Let's think about it some more."

Ivan Mikoyan clenched his fist. These guys were going too far! They were given priority access to fighter jets that even Eastern European armies couldn't equip, and they dared to complain! What right did they have to complain?
Eastern fighter jets? They're nothing but copies of the Mikoyan fighter jets! Those short-sighted guys from the East actually went to buy fighter jets! This is simply an insult to Mikoyan!
The Yi Tuo people didn't linger long and left that very night. Their next stop was the East!

The entire Mikoyan Design Bureau was seething with rage over this news.

"Hmph, if we get to the battlefield, our fighter jets will definitely shoot down those planes from the East cleanly and efficiently!"

"Yes, Yi Tuo will regret it sooner or later. When they come back to buy our fighter jets again, we must make things difficult for them!"

　PS: The three parallel openings on the MiG-29 are the auxiliary air intakes.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)