© Alexander Mladenov
Posted on 12/05/2007 8:46:10 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
PICTURE: Bulgaria's first refurbished MiG-29 fighter re-enters service
By Alexander Mladenov
The Bulgarian air force's first of 16 refurbished RSK MiG-29 fighters re-entered service on 29 November, following a successful check flight conducted at Graf Ignatievo air base.
Bulgaria's 12 single-seat MiG-29s and four two-seat trainers will have their service lives extended to 4,000 flight hours or 40 years under a $48 million refurbishment and life-extension project awarded to prime contractor RSK MiG in March 2006.
Bulgaria's Terem also assists in the work, which is performed at Graf Ignatievo. Six more aircraft will enter service by March 2008, with the remainder to follow within a further 12 months.
© Alexander Mladenov
Who did the work? RSK a Russian company?......
The MiG-29 is the coolest looking fighter ever to come out of Russian aerospace industry.
Yep. RSK MiG is the outfit that makes these jets. The Socialist Party government awarded them the contract years ago while briefly in power.
Is Bulgaria a NATO country or an affiliate?......
Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004,along with about quiet a few other ex-Soviet/Warsaw pact states.
Even if Bulgaria had any other option,they would still have had to get RSK MiG involved.The Russians are increasingly cranky when other (primarily Israeli & other European) companies win upgrade offers for their products-they usually show their displeasure by shutting off supply of spares.
I hope they didn’t buy it from the guy who sold me my first “refurbished” used car when I was a teen......the engine blew 4 days later on Christmas eve....LOL!
Check my math, but that looks like about 2 hours a week.
I think that’s not too uncommon for a fighter. Two hours per week flight time, combined with 20 hours maintenance.
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