Mig 29 was great fighter for its time and definitely was look at as an alternative benchmark to the western fighters in its day . It's weight to thrust was superb, it had the first ever helmet mounted sight capability and effective sensitive passive sensors. Even it's manouverability was mind breakingly hard to beat even by today's standard.
However it's lack of range, small numbers of hard points and poor serviceability that effect operational readiness create a big sense of dissatisfaction amongst operator countries. As time passed, minimal upgrades that was made available for this interceptor, however they were not enough to keep it at par or least close the gap with the most modern fighters that we have today.
This is a sad end for such a glorious fighter that could have had such a great future.
Mig 29 was a fighter designed to operate during wartime rather than peace time. The theory was that in an all out war most fighters would be shot latest by the third day. So it is wise just to make them simple and cheap. Even some of is parts were made of lower quality because the planes were deem not to last as long as the wear and tear of the spares the self.
By doing the above more planes could be easily be repaied or replaced during war if the need arises. As long these fighters are working fine and can maintain at an effective number, and quantity is a quality of its own, one can to win the war. We have seen this in the case of Low quality t34 but high in numbers against high standard of built of the tigers where the earlier prevailed.
In an all out war this brilliant concept would work well. However today an all out war is hard to come by, good of course, however this defeats the purpose of the way the mig 29 was built.
Today's fighters must perform peace time roles with little maintainance and cost less to operate. However in the light of war they must be able to perform multirole functions to cater the dire need of their air forces.
Actually Mig 29 has a lot more to give because it has a lot of room left for improvement, and if done this type has a fighting chance both in international sales and even air battles when the need arises.
Areas to look into for improvements for the mig 29 are;
1)adding on AESA radar
2)Adding additional hard points at the two wing tips and under the fuselage
3)building Conformal fuel tanks for it
4)Change the smokey engine
5)Add more mordern helmet mounted sight
6)Paint radar absorbing material
7)Thrust vector
8)add recce pod as well as targeting pod
9)Change certain parts with other material, ie titanium wings and fuselage to make it lighter and improve on the engine and other spare so that they will last longer.
The most prominent solution to this would be Mig 29 operators from different countries must team up and set up an entity to dwell on it's viability of improving their migs and proceed through it if they find it worthwhile. By doing this they can pull together their resources especially in the finance and attract technological advance companies to work with them on upgrading their interceptors. Russia for one might also agree either to take sole responsibility to upgrade these aircrafts or even work together with others to do so.
Many of these improvement can be made with the French even the Israelis companies. They have advance research in the above said areas of technologies. The French, israelis or even the British as well as other European countries would jump to the opportunity and would love to tag along on these projects and make enormous profits. So far attempt by these companies and even the Russian have failed because hey are unable to sell these improvements in quantity, thus there is no economic scale to support the sales.
Operating countries can agree on the standard upgrade and create a viable economic scale to support such upgrades.
By doing this current operating countries may keep its old migs and upgrade when nessacary which in most time it is. By doing this they can save a lot from buying new unproven fighters.
Based on the same formula F15 and F16, both 40 years old aircraft by design are still very much marketable today.
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