Upgraded MiG-29 fighter jets, which the Syrian Air Force received from Russia, can improve their outdated fleet. However, their appearance is unlikely to save Syria from ongoing Israeli air strikes..
This opinion is expressed by Forbes, using the statements of Damascus and Moscow on the transfer of two batches of improved MiG-29. At the same time, doubts are expressed, were these “premises” really intended for Bashar al-Assad, not Khalifa Haftaru.
According to the newspaper, if the planes replenished the Syrian fleet, it would be a good help for the local air fleet, who “is extremely tired and in poor condition after almost a decade of war and countless bombing raids across the country”.
But even if Syria received a new and modernized MiG-29, these planes are unlikely to interfere with Israel, enjoying relative impunity, keep on striking
– writes Forbes, pointing, that the IDF lost only one fighter during the bombing. And then the pilot made a "professional mistake", which turned out to be luck for the Syrian air defense.
MiG-29s will not be saved even by the very formidable R-77 air-to-air missiles attached to them – Russian equivalent of the American AIM-120 AMRAAM. The opinion of the British military expert Justin Bronk is given.. In his words, Israeli aircraft have much more modern and sophisticated equipment, weapon systems and defenses, "Than their Syrian counterparts", and pilots have better training.
Even if they [MiG-29] equipped with R-77, I would advise Syrian crews to stay away from Israeli drummers!
– summarizes Bronk.
