Pata
05-07-2007, 10:10 AM
After a five day silence, the Sri Lanka Air Force bombers took off from the KAB on Saturday to bomb rebel held Mullaithiv region. Many pro rebel LTTE media justified the 5 days silence of SLAF as proof of the LTTE's claim of shooting down a Kfir (later MiG27) last week. However, DefenceNet learns that bad weather and strategic reasons were behind the silence of SLAF during the last five days.
Meanwhile, with four failed attempts to gun down LTTE's aircraft which managed to successfully evade after conducting partially successful bombing runs on KAB, Palaly Military base and Colombo HSZ, the SLAF is now looking at the possibility of buying at least two MiG29 jet fighters for air superiority role.
MiG29 is a highly advanced combat aircraft which is both capable of air to ground and air to air role. The most common MiG29 variant has the following specifications.
Primary Function: Multi-role fighter
Contractor: Mikoyan-Gurevich
Crew: One
Powerplant: Two Klimov/Sarkisov RD-33 turbofans at 18,298 afterburning pounds of thrust each
Length: 56 feet and 10 inches
Wingspan: 37 feet and 3.25 inches
Height: 15 feet and 6.2 inches
Weights: Empty: 24,030 pounds Maximum Takeoff: 40,785 lb (18500 kg)
Speed: Mach 2.3 (1,520 mph)
Ceiling: 55,775 ft (17000 m)
Range: 932 miles (810 nm / 1500 km) with internal fuel
Armament
One 30mm GSh-301 cannon with 150 rounds
Six AAMs including a mix of SARH and AA-8 Aphid (R60)
AA-10 Alamo (R27T), AA-11 Archer
R73
FAB 500-M62
FAB-1000
TN-100
ECM Pods
S-24
AS-12
AS-14
Meanwhile, with four failed attempts to gun down LTTE's aircraft which managed to successfully evade after conducting partially successful bombing runs on KAB, Palaly Military base and Colombo HSZ, the SLAF is now looking at the possibility of buying at least two MiG29 jet fighters for air superiority role.
MiG29 is a highly advanced combat aircraft which is both capable of air to ground and air to air role. The most common MiG29 variant has the following specifications.
Primary Function: Multi-role fighter
Contractor: Mikoyan-Gurevich
Crew: One
Powerplant: Two Klimov/Sarkisov RD-33 turbofans at 18,298 afterburning pounds of thrust each
Length: 56 feet and 10 inches
Wingspan: 37 feet and 3.25 inches
Height: 15 feet and 6.2 inches
Weights: Empty: 24,030 pounds Maximum Takeoff: 40,785 lb (18500 kg)
Speed: Mach 2.3 (1,520 mph)
Ceiling: 55,775 ft (17000 m)
Range: 932 miles (810 nm / 1500 km) with internal fuel
Armament
One 30mm GSh-301 cannon with 150 rounds
Six AAMs including a mix of SARH and AA-8 Aphid (R60)
AA-10 Alamo (R27T), AA-11 Archer
R73
FAB 500-M62
FAB-1000
TN-100
ECM Pods
S-24
AS-12
AS-14