USAF MiG-29s

[SpetzNatzCU]

Okay, like three years ago, I saw an episode of discovery "wings" and I remember them talking about a USAF MiG-29 test squadron and showing videos of MiG-29s in F16-like grey camouflage schemes.....you know.....dark grey on body, but cockpit to nose lighter grey?

[ChuckMajik]

I didn't find any pictures or videos, but I do know the US aquired Fulcrums from Moldova.
They're most likely used in the aggressor role, painted up in those fancy colours.

I'm thinking the MiG's you say were probably German.
The scheme on the Luftwaffe's MiGs closely resemble that of the USAF's Falcons.

[SpetzNatzCU]

Thanks for your effort...but no, they're not Luftwaffe migs, altho i'll take that into consideration.  But I do recall seeing USAF markings on them....

[Craig.]

The US do have some Migs that they fly out of area 51 i believe. Just like the Russians have some older USAF planes.

[C]

I remember hearing about the US procuring some ex eastern european Mig-29s in the late 90s. To my knowledge they haven't flown them - else we would have seen them in an exercise such as Red flag. I'd expect they would have been more interested in taking them to pieces to see how good they are technologically. The first use of Migs in American exercises apparently seems to have been during Red Flag 2000, when they flew along side the US F-5/16/18 aggressors.

Charlie

[C]

It appears the US Mig 29s were bought from Moldova, and have since been scrapped (sounds logical - why operate them yourself when the Eastern Bloc countries joining NATO do it for you...)

It is also apparent that they were not bought with the sole intention of use as aggressors, but rather to stop a certain middle eastern state (Iran)from purchasing them...

[SpetzNatzCU]

Its odd to believe they have been scrapped, because one or two can be put to the "scrapping" job.  Those migs appeared to be used to test its aerial capabilities.

Although americans using fulcrums in red flag seems weird too because you'd want your pilots to train in your equiptment, and that way you learn how to compete with the foreign pilot.

On this war the US forces have dug out some MiG-25s out of the sand, I wonder if the US will use them for testing as well?
Hmm...well we got the info, now where are the pictures  of the MiG-29s?! lol

here's some pictures of the MiG-25 being dug out if you're interested.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2003/n08062003_200308063.html

[Hagar]

I think this bears out what Charlie said. http://www.thebestlinks.com/MiG__MM__29k.html

Due to the fear of proliferation of advanced ex-Soviet models, the U.S. Air Force has acquired many used MiG-29s, in blocks as large as squadron-size, from former Soviet bloc countries such as Moldova. These purchases tended to be very inexpensive (from a U.S. standpoint), while denying such aircraft to potentially hostile third-world nations. This led to speculation that USAF intended to use the aircraft for aggressor squadrons, such as Top Gun, but this turned out to be unfounded, when the aircraft were subsequently turned into scrap metal. The USAF hires MiG-29 jets and pilots from Germany, whenever comparative dog-fight tests are deemed necessary.

I don't how reliable the source is.

PS. Watch out for the pop-up if you click my link. I think it's harmless enough but it could be annoying.

[Ivan]

Moldavia had 'internal use' spec Fulcrums... not something the US wants to have floating around for a bargain.

The german Fulcrums are second-best class export models. As they were stationed at an important border they don't differ that much from the real deal. Iraq had a bunch of shitty ones, although some of them were newer compared to the german ones