The MiG Fighter


Designation: Air Superiority Fighter
Manufacturer: Mikevich-Gurevoyan Aircraft Corp.
Country of origin: USSR
Serially manufactured at: Soviet Airfield

Key features:

• Twin “Matryoshka” missile launchers
• Ultra-light, puncture-resistant fuselage
• Emergency Pilot system
• VTOL stabilisers
• Air freshener (Lavender)



Following the spectacular explosion of the Tesla KA-3 prototype aircraft, which killed the chief designer and test pilot of the Krasna Aerospace Company, the state of Soviet fighter aircraft design was in shambles. Krasna was in disarray, and industry analysts predicted that the Soviet Union would be unable to produce a credible air superiority fighter for at least a decade. They could not have foreseen that two young, visionary designers, Mikevich and Gurevoyan, would join forces to create one of the world’s most successful air superiority fighters.

The MiG fighter is in every respect a revolutionary design. Its primary weapon system is as reliable and effective as any in the world, capable of precisely tracking and destroying enemy aircraft even when confronted with the most advanced airborne electronic Countermeasures. The MiG’s missiles derive their nickname ‘Matryoshka’ from Russian nesting dolls, due to the missiles’ multiple sub-warheads which cause explosive damage inside their targets. This makes the MiG well-suited to intercepting enemy aerial threats and escorting Soviet bombers and ground-attack aircraft.


Before the Allied Air Command could begin to rest on its laurels following a series of victories, the Soviet Union redoubled its efforts to regain control of the skies with its powerful MiG fighter.

Designed from scratch as an air-superiority fighter, the MiG fighter has no air-to-ground capability, making it vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. However, when faced with such threats, MiG pilots are trained to recall the age-old Soviet fable of ‘The Bear and the Dog’: Whilst the Dog barks in the face of the approaching snowstorm, the Bear retreats to the warmth of his den to strike another day. Like the Bear, a skilled MiG pilot will use the aircraft’s speed and agility to leave the airspace before the storm arrives.

It is also the first Soviet production fighter aircraft to have VTOL capability, enabling it to be deployed from airbases close to the front lines. In normal flight, its aerodynamic design gives the MiG excellent speed and manoeuvrability. However, due to a lack of precision-machined parts, the mechanism for transitioning between vertical and horizontal flight is rather clunky. Many flight students found themselves unable to perform the transition themselves, much to their own distress and that of their flight instructors, who then had to take control of the aircraft. The few talented pilots who master the manoeuvrability required for aerial combat are known to be relatively straightforward.


A practical VTOL design and high-end guided artillery make the MiG deadly to enemy aircraft, even those capable of retaliating.

Despite the difficulties and dangers of flying the MiG fighter, the current rosters of the Soviet National Air Combat Divisions are brimming with personnel, the result of an unexpected influx of volunteers signing up for the rigorous flight training required to fly this demanding aircraft. This is partly due to an intensive propaganda campaign, but the image of a daring fighter pilot defending the Soviet Union also seems to strike a chord with the Russian spirit. Even the documentary by the expatriate filmmaker Boris Denisov, The Empty Chair, which criticised the Soviet army for mismanagement and incompetence, painted a powerful portrait of a MiG fighter pilot, a heroine devoted to the people, rushing between enemy aircraft and, on occasion, even firing on her own aircraft to protect the crew of a besieged Kirov Airship. His final work, The Empty Chair, earned Denisov a significant amount of posthumous acclaim.

The aura of prestige shared by the cadets in the Air Combat Division had thoroughly permeated civilian life, enabling the Soviet Army to begin recruiting candidates directly from primary school. Political officials tour boys’ and girls’ schools with a fine balance of boldness, assertiveness and patriotism – qualities that are then honed over the years at the Soviet Military Affairs Centre. Even with a rigorous selection process, fewer than half of the candidates will graduate; all will, however, find a career in the military in one way or another.


Reconnaissance on the battlefield has at least revealed the following facts about the MiG Fighter:

• Don’t forget me!- Whilst the ‘Matryoshka’ missile system takes a few moments to re-acquire a target after the previous missile has been fired, the missiles are ‘fire-and-forget’, giving the MiG the flexibility to cease the attack and move out of harm’s way whilst the system re-engages for the next shot. The MiG can only carry a limited number of missiles, forcing it to return to base periodically to reload.

-Air Superiority- Capable of engaging in combat with other fighter aircraft, the MiG commands both respect and fear amongst Allied and Imperial pilots. Ground-attack aircraft are particularly vulnerable to its speed and powerful weapons. Once the MiG is within firing range, no one on Earth can escape it.

-Watch your back- As powerful as the MiG is against other aircraft, it is extremely vulnerable to anti-aircraft weapons. Whilst some ground-based threats are obvious, appearances can sometimes be deceiving: Following a recent incident near Vladivostok, the Soviet Military Affairs Centre advises all MiG pilots to exercise extreme caution when attacking the Imperial Chopper-VX.

-All you can do - When the infamous deserter Mr Walker entered the Soviet embassy in Rome, he brought with him plans for an autopilot device that would automatically cause an aircraft to return to the nearest available Airfield, whilst simultaneously calibrating its flight path to compensate for atmospheric currents, taking into account a significantly faster retreat. This Allied technology now features on the MiG fighter, further extending its already impressive service life.