Ten newly repaired MiG-29 aircraft were delivered to the 61st fighter airbase in Baranovichi on 1 December, BelTA has learned.
The number includes eight combat aircraft and two training ones. The aircraft were sent for scheduled overhaul to 558 Aircraft Repair Plant in April 2014. The aircraft were fixed, the service life period was restored, and video registration of flight parameters for more objective control was enabled.
According to Andrei Tuchin, Acting Director of 558 Aircraft Repair Plant, it was the second overhaul for the MiG-29 aircraft, even the third one for one of them. A second overhaul of such aircraft has never been done in any country. The aircraft’s delivery coincided with the start of the new academic year in the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense. During combat training flights on 1 December close attention was paid to improving the proficiency and mastery of the pilots.
The 61st airbase, which is meant to protect Belarus’ western air borders, started mastering the MiG-29 model in 1993. Later on these aircraft were upgraded by 558 Aircraft Repair Plant to receive the new abbreviation of MiG-29BM. Belarusian pilots have used the upgraded aircraft to beat 15 world records such as climb speed and flight speed along a locked route.