April 15, 2023, civil war broke out in the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, and as of this writing, more than 200 people have died and two thousand others have been injured. The war involving the military and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Force (RSF) continues.
Not limited to deploying ground weapons, the war has also raised the prestige of the legendary fighter jet, MiG-29 Fulcrum.
The fourth generation twin engine fighter jet, not only became a 'bone of contention' in the Russia vs Ukraine war. On the first day of fighting in Khartoum, MiG-29s took part in air-to-surface operations. Operated by the Sudanese Air Force, the MiG-29 reportedly flies low and carries out attacks using rockets and air-to-surface missiles to suppress RSF troop bases.
Although designed (mainly) for air-to-air combat, the Sudanese MiG-29s have taken part in counter-insurgency operations in the past against various Western-backed militia groups. In addition, the MiG-29 also serves as a cover element for the Su-24M long-range attack aircraft that Sudan acquired from Belarus in 2014.
Air power is the main advantage that the Sudanese military has over other armed groups in the country. To protect Khartoum, MiG-29s, Su-24Ms and Su-25s have been temporarily stationed in the capital Khartoum and flown over militia groups near the capital in what was shown to be a show of force.
In October 2020, the Minister of Defense of Sudan announced that Sudan had purchased MiG-29 fighter aircraft from Russia. The aircraft's official debut in Sudan took place in November 2020, where several MiG-29 units were displayed in a military parade in Khartoum.
As expected, the purchase of MiG-28s drew criticism from several countries, including the United States, which has imposed economic sanctions on Sudan. Sudan is one of five African countries operating the MiG-29, the other MiG-29 countries being Eritrea, Egypt and Libya and nearby Algeria, all of which are heavily dependent on the MiG-29.
For countries in Africa, the MiG-29 Fulcrum is considered the ideal fighter jet. Because the MiG-29 can be operated in 'bad' environmental conditions. The MiG-29 is capable of taking off and landing on un-prepared airstrips to take off.
As a jet-engined aircraft, the biggest potential hazard is the entry of foreign objects or hazardous materials into the air intake – FOD (Foreign Object Debris) which can damage the engine. Well, for this one business, it seems that the MiG-29 is considered a 'recalcitrant' fighter jet.
MiG-29 adopted with two sets of engine air inlets. When the inlets under the wings are closed (to prevent engine damage from foreign objects) using the FOD screen, the inlets on top will open. This allows the engine to still get the air supply it needs.
The use of FOD screens is of course decided by the pilot manually if he sees a runway area that has the potential for hazardous materials that can be sucked into jet engines.
In the context of operations in Africa, the FOD screen feature is very important for the MiG-29, such as a desert climate and lots of dust, often getting hit by strong winds and sandstorms, so not just any fighter jet can operate optimally in several African countries.
Although the FOD screen gave the MiG-29 the advantage of mobility, however, the presence of the FOD screen apparently had an impact on a more complex airflow system, where there was space that could ideally be used for the fuel tank, but was used for the FOD screen.
Overall, the FOD screen feature could hinder the MiG-29's range. Seeing the pluses and minuses of the FOD screen, this feature is then not present on the Sukhoi Su-27/Su-30 fighter jet.
