The U.S. Military's Covert Acquisition of MiG-29s: A Strategic Masterstroke
Story by Jessica Taylor • 5h
During the latter years of the Cold War, the U.S. military conducted a very surreptitious operation involving the purchase of 21 Soviet-manufactured MiG-29 fighter jets from Moldova. The basis behind this was to prevent the advanced planes from getting into the possession of Iran, an event that would seriously destabilize the Middle East region.
These MiG-29s were shipped to Dayton, Ohio, in 1997, where they became a valuable asset for the U.S. Air Force. American and Israeli pilots took these aircraft through extensive exercises and exposed their considerable dogfighting abilities, especially those awarded by their advanced helmet-mounted targeting systems. This was intelligence gold, as it helped the U.S. continue to improve its fighter technologies and prepare for possible engagement with Russian aircraft in future combat.
Equipped with state-of-the-art Soviet technology, it proved equal and even outclassed in some aspects by its American counterparts, the F-15 and F-16 fighters. As one American test pilot related, the MiG-29 was a phenomenal performer, particularly in the hands of a skilled pilot. The thrust was simply phenomenal. On top of all these, their helmet-mounted cueing system allowed precise targeting well out of the realm of American systems at extremely extended angles.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-u-s-military-s-covert-acquisition-of-mig-29s-a-strategic-masterstroke/ar-AA1qilrw?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=e885f2c351414d32b1e9fa351ed1d9ae&ei=78
