Slovak Air Force Transfers All MiG-29 Fulcrum Fighters to Ukraine Air Force

Slovakia has already handed over to Ukraine all 13 of the announced 13 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets. With the initial batch of four MiG-29s flown to Ukraine by Ukrainian Air Force pilots in March 2023, the remaining nine have by now been successfully transferred to the Ukrainian forces. The MiG-29 Fulcrums represent Slovakia’s huge support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s military aggression and in its protection of human lives. The Slovak government approved sending MIG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine stepping up its military assistance to Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion.

In a statement, Defence Minister Jaroslav Na? said: “The transfer of equipment was conducted by road while maintaining the highest levels of security. Once again, our thanks go out to all those involved in the transfer, because in cases like this, it is always really an important and challenging logistics operation. Unlike for our neighbor, for us, the aircraft were made unusable. It was the right thing to do.”

The Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the larger Sukhoi Su-27, was developed to counter new U.S. fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. The MiG-29 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1983. While originally oriented towards combat against any enemy aircraft, many MiG-29s have been furnished as multirole fighters capable of performing a number of different operations.

Inherited from Czechoslovakia, 10 MiG-29ASs and 1 MiG-29UBS were in service Slovak Air Force as of 2021. Work is done by Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG and Western firms, starting from 2005. The aircraft now has navigation and communications systems from Rockwell Collins, an IFF system from BAE Systems, new glass cockpit features multi-function LC displays and digital processors and also fitted to be integrate with Western equipment in the future. They were officially withdrawn from service on 31 August 2022. Slovakia signed a deal to buy 14 U.S. F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets, but delivery was pushed back two years to early 2024.