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The Mikoyan MiG-AT () is a Russian advanced trainer and light attack aircraft that was intended to replace the Aero L-29 and L-39 of the Russian Air Force. Designed by the Mikoyan Design Bureau and built by the Moscow Aircraft Production Association, the MiG-AT made its first flight in March 1996. It is the first joint aircraft development programme between Russia and France and the first military collaborative project between Russia and the West to reach first flight.

Design and development

The design effort on the MiG-AT began when Soviet authorities looked to replace the country's ageing fleet of Aero L-29 and L-39 military trainer aircraft. The project competed with proposals from the design bureaus of Sukhoi, Myasishchev and Yakovlev; in 1992, the designs of the two former firms were eliminated, leaving the MiG-AT and Yak-130 as the sole contenders for a government contract. Due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent fall in defence spending, Mikoyan entered into collaboration with French firms Snecma/Turbomeca and Sextant Avionique (later Thales Avionics), who would provide the aircraft engines and avionics, respectively.

Following the freezing of the MiG-AT's final design in early 1994, the Moscow Aircraft Production Association (MAPO) started fabricating the first prototype. The two companies, which would merge in 1995 to form MAPO-MiG, used their own funds for the construction of the aircraft. The first MiG-AT (81 White) was rolled out in May 1995, The aircraft reached a height of and a speed of . The second prototype joined the flight test programme in October 1997; by then, the first aircraft had accumulated more than 200 test flights. Mikoyan had originally planned to conduct the test programme using three flying prototypes and a static aircraft and also to construct about fifteen additional aircraft for its joint international marketing effort with Snecma.

As the tender for a military trainer progressed, operational experience in the air force and pressure from foreign participating companies shifted the original requirements for a purely trainer aircraft to one that encompassed a light combat capability. only for the media to subsequently report that both aircraft had been chosen. The Yak-130, however, was said to be superior as it could serve the dual role of a trainer and combat jet, and in the end, on 10 April 2002, it was announced that the Yak-130 had indeed been selected over the MiG-AT. Mikoyan protested the decision, in particular the expanded requirements for a lightweight combat trainer, and the weapons load requirement that was apparently too great for such physically-inadequate designs. and to draw on Snecma's international business network. Aside from the CIS, Russia would market the aircraft to countries that had traditionally purchased the country's aircraft, including India and Malaysia.

In June 2018, vice president of the United Aircraft Corporation Sergei Korotkov announced the Russian Defence Ministry is considering a revival of the program and possibility of using the aircraft as a main platform for base training of pilots. Further, it was reported by Viktor Bondarev if the decision is taken, the aircraft may be introduced to the Russian Air Force in 2023.

UAC announced in December 2023 that it plans to build a new training complex, the main element of which will be the new single-engine MiG-UTS aircraft, which is a spiritual successor of MiG-AT.

Variants

  • MiG-AT – two-seat basic military trainer variant.
  • MiG-AC – proposed single-seat combat variant with shortened fuselage.
  • MiG-ATC – proposed trainer/light combat variant of the baseline MiG-AT with helmet-mounted target designation system for air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. airforce-technology.com,

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General characteristics

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Powerplant

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|eng1 name=SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac 04-R-20

|eng1 type=turbofan engines

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Performance

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|range km=1200

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|ferry range km=2000

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|ceiling m=14000

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|climb rate ms=81.7

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Armament

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|guns=UPK-23 gun pod for Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 autocannon

|hardpoints=9

|hardpoint capacity=up to of stores

|hardpoint rockets=

  • UB-16 rocket pods for S-5 rockets
  • UB-8M rocket pods for S-8 rockets

|hardpoint missiles=

  • Air-to-air missiles:
  • R-73E
  • R-77
  • AIM-9L Sidewinder
  • R.550 Magic
  • Air-to-surface missiles:
  • Kh-29TD
  • Anti-ship missiles:
  • Kh-31AE
  • Anti-radiation missiles:
  • Kh-31PE
  • Anti-tank missiles:
  • 9K121 Vikhr

|hardpoint bombs=up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs

|avionics=

See also

References

  • https://web.archive.org/web/20031002061449/http://aviation.ru/MiG/#AT
  • MiG-AT - Photo gallery on Pravda.Ru