Mig-29 Slovak Air Force
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the larger Sukhoi Su-27, was developed to counter U.S. fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. The MiG-29 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1983.
Slovakia – Slovakia operated in total 24 MiG-29s. 9 MiG-29 9.12A and 1 MiG-29UB were inherited from Czechoslovakia. From 1993 to 1995 Slovakia ordered 12 additional MiG-29 9.12A and 2 MiG-29UB fighters as compensation for Russian debt. 12 aircraft were upgraded by the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG and Western companies in 2007 and 2008 to fulfill the NATO requirements, and were maintained by Russian military technicians at Sliač Air Base. They were officially withdrawn from service on 31 August 2022. Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Rastislav Káčer has said that his country is prepared to transfer their fleet of MiG-29s to Ukraine. He said: "We have not yet handed Ukraine the MiG-29s. But we are ready to do it. We are talking with our NATO partners about how to do it," and such a package would involve "several thousand" missiles. Slovakia transferred the first four of its MiG-29 fighter jets, from 13 to be sent to Ukraine on 24 March 2023.
