Global Courant
MIG-29 UKRAINE PYLON
At least one Ukrainian MiG-29 pivot point fighter jet flies with what appears to be a new and previously unseen type of pylon system under the wings. While we don’t currently know the exact purpose of this mast, it raises some very interesting questions, especially given the previous modifications that have been made to the MiG-29 (and others Soviet-era fighter planes) to make them wear new weapons of Western origin.
https://twitter.com/KpsZSU/status/1671054191672844289?s=20
Particularly intriguing is the origin of this photo. It was posted to the Ukrainian Air Force’s official Twitter account today, along with the caption “New day – new challenges!” That expression could very well suggest that a new kind of ability is being used. Anyway, the fact that the Ukrainian Air Force chose to disclose this particular photo also indicates that they are eager to show off some of that new capability, whatever it may be.
Ukrainian Air Force / via Twitter
The photo in question shows the underside of a MiG-29 in flight with the full complement of six pylons under the wings, but no armament attached. An external fuel tank is carried on the centerline. The jet has a distinctive off-white nose turret, suggesting that the MiG is likely not one of the MiGs delivered from Ukraine. Polish or Slovak Air Force Stocks.
An example of a pre-war Ukrainian MiG-29 with a light gray turret and with R-27R inert missiles mounted on the inner underwing pylons. Oleg V. Belyakov/Wikimedia Commons
Regardless of the origin of this particular MiG-29, the intriguing aspect of the photo is the appearance of the two extended inner underwing pylons closest to the engine nacelles. Normally these would be used for the AKU-470 launch rails which each accommodate a single R-27R (AA-10 Alamo) air-to-air missile (AAM), with semi-active radar guidance. Infrared-guided R-27Ts can also be carried, but are rarely seen.
https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1556391541324894210?s=20
For almost a year, Ukrainian MiG-29s have also been using an ad hoc mast to carry the US-supplied AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (SORROW).
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A close-up of the much shorter missile mast associated with the MiG-29/AGM-88 HARM interface. RevengeFor via Twitter
The view from the cockpit of a Ukrainian MiG-29, with a HARM on the inner pylon under the wings and an R-73 air-to-air missile outboard. Screencap of the Ukrainian Air Force
However, the pylons in this photo do not resemble any of these options. The most important features are their length, or more specifically the extent to which they protrude in front of the wing leading edge. The color is also unusual, light gray or even white on most of the launch rail itself. There appear to be quadruple shackles on each pylon, the kind normally associated with securing a heavier round of ammunition. Finally, the pylon has a long shape with a rounded end cap somewhat resembling something that would contain an electronic warfare transmitter or a passive radio frequency detector.
All in all, the picture suggests that we are looking at a mast associated with a new type of air-launched weapon introduced on the Ukrainian MiG-29, or that the mast itself is a new type that is a kind of fight contains. related subsystem. Another very real possibility is that it contains both functions. Integration of electronic warfare and defensive countermeasures on weapon pylons is a commonly used term.
In the first case, we know that Ukraine has received Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range precision-guided bombs, or JDAM-ERs, with a small supply of these bomb kits that can hit targets up to 70 kilometers away thanks to their pop-out wing kits. So far we don’t know which aircraft types have been modified to launch these weapons, but the MiG-29 could be an option. In this case, a new type of mast may have been installed. The heavy-duty bomb closures could also indicate a larger weapon like JDAM-ER, and one that falls away, rather than being fired or ejected from the pylon.
A JDAM-ER carried under the wing of a Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet. Australian Defense Force
While Ukraine has also received other weapons that can potentially be integrated into fighter jets, namely the AIM-7 Mus semi-active radar homing air-to-air missiles (AAMs) and the AIM-9 crosswinder infrared-guided AAM, these are considered to be intended for launching from ground-based air defense systems, not fighters. At the same time, the appearance of the pylons does not directly suggest an interface for the AIM-7 or AIM-9, let alone the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The latter is an AAM with active radar guidance and something from the Ukrainian Air Force has long appreciated. However, so far there is only confirmation that AMRAAMs have been delivered for ground launch NASAMS air defense systems, not for aircraft.
In basic appearance, the new MiG-29 pylon is perhaps most similar to the launch rail used for the air-launched version of the German-designed IRIS-T infrared-guided AAM, though the closures remain an anomaly. Examples of the IRIS-T have been supplied to Ukraine for use due to their small numbers IRIS-T SLM air defense systems. Again, there is no evidence that these missiles were integrated into any Ukrainian aircraft.
A dummy IRIS-T missile on its rail. Owls K/Wikimedia Commons
A number of other Western missiles have also been delivered to Ukraine, including the Sulfur anti-armor missile, Harpoon anti-ship missile, and hellfire air-to-surface missile. Again, we have no evidence of air-launched applications, and the pylon doesn’t immediately suggest any of these candidates, though it’s certainly not impossible.
The possibility that this pylon contains some kind of electronic warfare or sensor capabilities is also highly relevant. As noted earlier, the size, shape and to some extent the color of the new pylon could suggest the possibility of some sort of sensor or transmitter being integrated into it.
One possibility could be sort of electronic support measures (ESM) or some type of radar homing and warning receiver (RHWR). This is essentially a passive sensor suite that can gather intelligence by detecting certain types of electromagnetic radiation, specifically those used by radars on air defense systems. Flying with two equally spaced sensors would allow some degree of triangulation of potentially hostile transmitters.
As such, ESM/RHWR would be of particular importance to the defense suppression mission, already flown by Ukrainian MiG-29s armed with HARMs. It could potentially provide clues to the use of these missiles against broadcasting Russian air defense systems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5nWxN1ymW4
Although it is not entirely clear exactly how Ukraine uses the HARM, as far as we understand they are usually launched in a pre-programmed mode, in which the missile is programmed to fly to the area of a specific threat zone before the jet leaves the ground. In this scenario, the missile is launched ‘blind’, usually at a greater distance, using a very high trajectory to maximize ‘hang time’, with the aim of acquiring a target during its flight. This type of shot is often combined with other air operations in an attempt to prevent other aircraft from being deployed for a short period of time.
But having some sort of ESM sensor on the launch plane could open up new avenues of employment, especially if cockpit interfaces allow for more dynamic use of the HARMs. Under such an arrangement, target data can be transferred to the AGM-88 in real time before firing and selecting an appropriate mode. This would allow HARMs to be launched against opportunity targets. Usually this is a previously unknown or “pop-up” threat that becomes active. Even a simple ESM/RHWS system could provide greater sensitivity than what the HARM itself can provide, possibly including range information, and thus yield better results.
Finally this can be a pylon that is characteristic electronic warfare jammersadding a modular layer of protection for Ukrainian MiG-29s operating in an extreme high threat combat environment. The dense Russian air defense layer extends deep into the Ukrainian-controlled territory, especially at high altitudes. Some kind of electronic warfare self-protection would be very welcome and it makes a lot of sense to pin it down.
The need for a new dedicated pylon could have provided an opportunity to introduce multi-purpose capabilities into it, especially now that the United States, its allies and Ukraine have more extensive knowledge about integrating Western weapons into the MiG-29 and exactly what Ukraine needs most. could use. Integrating another function on a new pylon means that a storage drive is not lost by having to mount a special pod or pods. Bringing these capabilities quickly to Ukraine’s aging tactical fighter jet fleet is also particularly relevant, as Western fourth-generation combat aircraft are at best many months away from arriving.
So at least those are some of the options that could help explain the MiG’s new mysterious pylon.
So far, the war in Ukraine has yielded some surprising examples of new weapon use and, in particular, adaptations of new weapons aboard Soviet-era Ukrainian Air Force aircraft. Today’s photo teaser of that service may be our first glimpse of the next example of aerial warfare innovation.
Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
