Two-seat conversion trainer, weapons trainer and light attack aircraft.
The MiG-29UB (NATO reporting name "Fulcrum-B") is the two-seat conversion trainer variant of the single-seat MiG-29A fighter. Most Soviet fighter designs include a two-seat equivalent for conversion training, often sacrificing combat capability for the extra seat. Such is the case with the MiG-29UB. The single-seat variant's NO-193 RADAR was removed and replaced with a more streamlined nose, sans RADAR. The IRST, laser rangefinder, canon, and under-wing hard-points were kept for limited combat capability.
Every operator of the Mig-29 has a number of two-seaters in the inventory. Upgrades to existing Mig-29UB's, to add more effective combat capability, have been marketed in the form of the Mig-29UBT with Yemen being the only operator thus far. India's Mig-29K naval variant of the Mig-29 is based solely on the Mig-29UB with fully combat-capable single and dual-seat versions. The Mig-35 development of the Mig-29 is also based on the Mig-29UB. Some examples have been imported to the United States for evaluation by the USAF/DoD and by a few wealthy collectors. Privately-owned Mig-29's in the U.S. are listed by the FAA as flyable. In 1996 a Cuban Mig-29UB shot down two Cessna 337's which had violated Cuban air space, spreading leaflets.
- Country of Origin:
Soviet Union
- First Flight:
4/29/81
- Initial Service Date:
1982
- No. Built:
0
- No. In Service:
0
- No. of Hardpoints:
7
- Crew:
2
Operators:
Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Eritrea, Hungary, India (IAF/IN), Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, North Korea, Peru, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, Yemen.