Which Countries Have The Highest Number Of MiG-29s In Their Military?
When the Soviet Union needed a fourth-generation fighter jet to counter the firepower of America's F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon in the early '70s, it looked to the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau. With all the data the Bureau had on these American fighters, it set out to create the MiG-29. The Bureau got a prototype built and flying by 1977 but didn't deliver its first jet to Frontal Aviation units until 1983, seven years after the U.S. Air Force was flying the F-15. While the MiG-29 was primarily built to counter the capability of the American fighter jets, the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau gave it a secondary ground attack purpose to improve versatility.
The MiG-29 had a few deficiencies compared to the F-15 and F-16 at first, as it lacked fly-by-wire controls, and the manufacturer hadn't used lightweight composite materials before. It took some time before these drawbacks were rectified, allowing it to become a reputable threat. The jet's two Isotov RD-33 turbofan engines are capable of producing 18,300 lbs. of thrust each with the afterburner engaged, letting it achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2.3. It comes armed with a 30mm GSh-301 cannon and can carry up to six air-to-air missiles or a variety of bombs when necessary.
Despite its age, the MiG-29 is one of the top 10 active fighter jets used around the world, with roughly 800 in use, according to numbers provided by Flight Global. Currently, there are 23 countries that employ the Soviet-era MiG-29. Of those 23 countries, the top five are Russia, India, Ukraine, Egypt, and Algeria.
Several countries use the MiG-29 in their militaries
Russia sits with the most at 275 MiG-29s. There are 240 actively used by its Air Force and 13 used for training, though this number also includes the MiG-35, an advanced variant of the MiG-29. It's also awaiting 35 units that are on order. The Russian Navy has 18 in active use, with four used for training purposes.
India comes in second with 120 units, half of what Russia's Air Force uses. India's Air Force has 65 MiG-29s in active combat roles, while it uses 10 for training its pilots. Its Navy, on the other hand, utilizes 36 MiG-29Ks, the carrier-based variant of the jet. The Indian Navy also has nine MiG-29s for training.
Ukraine's inventory of jets is nowhere near that of Russia or India. It only owns 55 total, 47 of which are in active combat roles, while eight are used to train pilots. When looking at the numbers for Russia and Ukraine, it's worth considering the current war, which may skew the exact numbers.
Egypt has a total of 43 MiG-29s, with 31 designated for active duty and 12 for training. Rounding out the top five is Algeria, which currently has a total of 40 active in its Air Force (including one for training). However, Algeria is awaiting an additional five MiG-29s on order, which would put it just over Egypt's count when those arrive.