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Mikoyan-i-Gurevich Design Bureau
Mikoyan or Mikoyan-i-Gurevich Design Bureau (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич, МиГ), it is a military aircraft design bureau, primarily designing fighter aircraft. It was formerly a Soviet design bureau, and was founded by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich as "Mikoyan and Gurevich", with the bureau prefix "MiG." Upon Mikoyan's death in 1970, Gurevich's name was dropped from the name of the bureau, although the bureau prefix remained "MiG". The firm also operates several machine-building and design bureaus, including the Kamov helicopter plant.
MiG aircraft were also used by the Chinese, North Korean, and North Vietnamese in aerial confrontations with American and allied forces. The Soviet Union sold many of these planes within its sphere of influence.
MiG 21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21) (NATO reporting name "Fishbed") is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed and built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage.[2] Early versions are considered second-generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered to be third-generation jet fighters. Some 50 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations a half-century after its maiden flight. The fighter has the distinction of holding a number of modern aviation records; it is the most produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history, the most produced combat aircraft since the Korean War, and it had the longest production run of a combat aircraft (1959 to 1985 over all variants[1]).
Operation History:
Vietnam- 92 MiG 21 losses for 126 USAF aircraft losses.
Middle East- 51 kills by MiG 21 for 33 losses.
MiG 23
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-23; NATO reporting name: "Flogger") is a swing-wing fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet "Third Generation" aircraft category along with similar-aged Russian-produced fighters like the MiG-25 "Foxbat". It was the first Soviet fighter with a look-down/shoot-down radar and beyond visual range missiles, and the first MiG production fighter plane to have intakes at the sides of the fuselage. Production started in 1970 and reached large numbers with over 5,000 aircraft built. Today the MiG-23 remains in limited service with various export customers.
Operation History:
Syrian Israeli Conflict - 14 MiG23 kills with 30 losses.
MiG 25
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (Russian: МиГ-25) (NATO reporting name "Foxbat") is a high-supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance/bomber aircraft designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau. First flown as a prototype in 1964, it entered service in 1970. With a top speed of Mach 3.2, a powerful radar and four air-to-air missiles, the MiG-25 worried Western observers and prompted development of the F-15 Eagle.
The aircraft's true capabilities were not revealed to the west until 1976 when Viktor Belenko, a Soviet MiG-25 pilot, defected to the United States via Japan. Subsequent analysis revealed a simple-yet-functional design with vacuum-tube electronics, two massive turbojet engines, and sparing use of advanced materials such as titanium. The MiG-25 series had a production run of 1,190 aircraft.[1] The MiG-25 flew with a number of Soviet allies and former Soviet republics and it remains in limited service in Russia and several other nations.
Operation History:
MiG 25 Foxbats were widely used in the Iran Iraq war but was unsuccessful, with more than 16 Foxbats downed by Iranian F.14 Sidewinder missiles. An F.15 and an F.18 were killed by Foxbats in the Operation Desert Storm, with 3 Foxbat losses.
MiG 29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-29) is a 4th generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other nations. NATO’s reporting name for the MiG-29 is "Fulcrum", which was unofficially used by Soviet pilots in service.[2] It was developed to counter new American fighters such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the F/A-18 Hornet.
Operation History:
The Soviet Union exported MiG-29s to several developing countries. Because 4th-generation fighter jets require the pilots to have extensive training, air-defense infrastructure, and constant maintenance and upgrade, MiG-29s have had mixed operational history with different air forces.For example, while the MiG-29s have an excellent operational history under the Indian Air Force which has invested heavily in the aircraft, it does not however have a good track record while serving the air forces of other countries like Iraq and Yugoslavia.
