It was designed to be light, with
a rapid rate of re. To this end,
it uses a short recoil mechanism
when ring which saves a great
deal of weight compared to
western ghters, which use a
revolving Gatling gun mechanism.
In the NVA, the cannon was used
in both air-to-air and air-to-ground
operations.
The MiG-29 could carry three
types of missile: the Vympel R-
(AA-8 Aphid) short-range infrared
heat-seeking air-to-air (AAM)
missile; the Vympel R-27 medium
to long-range radar semi-active AAM (AA-
Alamo); and the Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer)
short-range infrared heat-seeking AAM. A
typical weapons suite on an NVA MiG-
would be two R-27s and four R-73s.
The R-73 was the most recent of these
missiles and replaced the R-60, although
both were used by the NVA because, for live
ring training, the R-60 was much cheaper.
When the R-73 was used in conjunction
with the MiG’s unique targeting system, the
aircraft was a formidable opponent in a close-
in dog ght.
Michael Wegerich said: “The weapons
control system was one of the more
advanced features of the MiG-29’s design;
the principal components of which were thetargeting systems, most notably the IRST,
‘KOLS’ and the Helmet-Mounted Sight (HMS).
‘KOLS’ was used to search, detect and track
targets with infrared contrast.
“The helmet target allocation system with
the helmet visor attachment NWU-2M, also
known as helmet visor system, was used for
determining the angular co-ordinates of the
target by the movements of the pilot’s head
as he visually acquired it.
“The helmet dramatically improved the
efficiency by which the targets were acquired
and attacked. The target informationand acquisition, which was
performed by the pilot through
his head movements, was added
simultaneously to the IRST,
‘KOLS’, to the radar as well as to
the seeker heads of R-73 infrared
missile.
“The pilot did not have to
control the aircraft to follow the
target, but could move his head
in the range of plus or minus 60°
in the horizontal, and plus 45° or
minus 15° in the vertical, place
the target ring of the helmet visor
on the target and thus the target
would be acquired.
“If a sensor or a seeker head had detected
the target, target guidance was automatically
carried out and, upon reaching the optimum
shooting distance, the missile started
automatically when the combat button was
pressed.”
This feature of the MiG-29’s air-to-air
ghting capability negated the necessity
of the pilot getting his nose pointing at the
target. In fact, a target which was as much
as 60° off the nose could be acquired and
destroyed.
Using the slow-speed ability of the
Fulcrum, the Cobra manoeuvre was evolved
which further widened the parameters in
which the HMS and the R-73 could beThe camou age scheme of the JG-3 MiG-29s was not ideally suited to the air-defence role.
With the transfer to the Luftwaffe, the aircraft were painted overall grey. Stefan PetersenOberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) Michael
Wegerich in the MiG-29 cockpit on the last
ight day of the NVA on September 27, 1990.
Michael Wegerich20 Aviation News incorporating Jets March 2018The rst ight of Luftwaffe MiG-29s took off from Preschen on October 19, 1990. Aircraft 604 still wears its NVA camou age and special colour
scheme, but now carries the national insignia of the Luftwaffe and a new serial, 29+01. The date displayed on the yellow ash beneath the cockpit
now reads 191090 though is hard to see in this photo. Michael Wegerich18-23_german_migsDCDC.mfDC.mf.indd 20 05/02/2018 14: