MiG-29

The MiG-29 is a Soviet, and later Russian, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed by the Mikoyan design bureau and entering Soviet air force service in 1982, developed as a maneuverable frontline air-superiority fighter intended to counter contemporary American fighters such as the F-15 and F-16 and to operate from austere, forward airbases closer to the front line than the larger Soviet interceptors of the period. Highly maneuverable and equipped with a helmet-mounted sighting system that let pilots cue short-range infrared missiles simply by looking at a target, a capability Western air forces did not match for years afterward, the MiG-29 first became widely visible to Western observers and pilots after German reunification brought former East German air force MiG-29s into NATO's hands for direct evaluation. Exported widely to Soviet-aligned and other air forces during and after the Cold War, the MiG-29 remains in service with dozens of countries, and it has seen combat use in multiple regional conflicts since the 1990s, including the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.