Russia's Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau came up with a real winner when the MiG-29 burst on the scene in 1977. Using advanced technology to make the "Fulcrum" a real slugger in close-quarter combat, engineers created a fighter that is one of the world's most maneuverable. In the right hands a MiG-29 can fight and win a close-in, gloves off dogfight against any warplane in service today.
Seen by the West as a rival to the F-16, the MiG-29 offers far superior detection capabilities, and the AA-10 and AA-11 missiles it carries are comparable to their Westeren counterparts. However, it does not have much of an air-to-ground repertoire, although the secound-generation MiG-29M can carry a wide array of precision weapons.
Though it offers super performance, the MiG-29 is practical and less expensive than Westeren fighters. The "Fulcrum" never fails to command respect: In the hear of battle, it is always a lethal foe.
