Services in demand
The order books in Lviv are full and the factory
has been working for several years with just
over 1,000 employees, which is considered the
optimum size to deliver the required quality. In
the last two years, the utilisation of the plant’s
capacity was the ideal 100%, primarily due
to the demands of the ATO. Of course, the
OEM does not sanction any of this work. It is
interesting to note that at the end of the Soviet
Union the plant had around 2,800 employees.
Although it’s working at full capacity, and
ten to 15 Ukrainian MiG-29s have been
returned to an airworthy condition since the
start of the ATO, plans are being made to
further improve the PS Fulcrum fleet. A first
demonstrator and prototype for the MiG-
29MU2 version is expected to be presented
to the public in 2018 and it will undergo
the necessary tests as quickly as possible
prior to introduction on the front line.
The MiG-29MU1 standard is used as the
basis for the MU2, but it incorporates another
eight phases of modernisation with the aim
of further increasing combat capability. These
include upgrade of the 20PM weapon system,
a further update of the R-862 radio station,
installation of the Kurs-93 navigation/landing
aid, replacement of the RSBN A-323 navigation
system and use of the MSD-2000 data bus.
With deliveries of the MiG-29MU2, the
PS will receive for the first time a fighter
upgrade in which air combat capability
improvements take centre stage.
Above: This Kazakh MiG-29 is an example of the 9.12 (‘Fulcrum-A’) version. Only machines of the 9.13 (‘Fulcrum-C’) series are modernised in Lviv.
Below: Many of the Ukrainian MiG-29s arrive at the plant in Lviv by truck. After maintenance or upgrade, the aircraft fly back to their Ukrainian units.
Above: Kazakhstan’s MiG-27 fleet is also refurbished at the aircraft repair plant in Lviv. Below: This MiG-29
9.13 in the colours of the former Ukrainian Falcons display team was recently refurbished at the Lviv plant.AFMhttp://www.airforcesmonthly.com #358 JANUARY 2018 // 85