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Northern Fleet pilots with new MIGs

The Northern Fleet pilots are learning to fly the MIG-29K, the Russian Navy's new main fighter jet.

The aviation division of Russia’s powerful Northern Fleet is getting a series of MIG-29Ks, the new multipurpose aircraft designed for aircraft carriers and marine operations.

Location

According to the press service of the Russian Navy, all the Northern Fleet pilots will in the course of 2014 undergo training in the use of the new aircraft. Until now, the pilots have operated primarily the SU-33 and SU-25UTG jets, two types of aircraft planned phased out of service after 2015.

The fighter jets of the Northern Fleet are based primarily in the Severomorsk-3 airfield outside Murmansk.

As previously reported, the new jets means a full upgrade of the aircraft fleet of the “Admiral Kuznetsov”, Russia’s only vessel of the kind.

The Russian Navy in 2009 ordered 24 MiG-29Ks. That order was in 2012 complemented with an additional 20 aircrafts. The Russian contracts came after India had placed orders of a total of 45 MIG-29K for its navy.

The MiG-29K/KUB jet is a generation 4++ fighter jet specially developed for aircraft carriers and operations at sea. Compared with previous models, the MiG-29K/KUB has twice as big air capacities and a 2,5 times cheaper flight time, aircraft manufactorer MiG informs on its website. Weapons system includes “A-A”, “A-S” missiles, guided aerial bombs, rockets, aerial bombs and built-in air-gun of 30 mm caliber, and more.