Initially created as the MiG-LFI with a planned obsolete production number of MiG-37, by the Mikoyan-Gurievich aircraft construction bureau in the Union of Crimson and Shadow Republics, this 2000s-developed fifth-generation fighter is currently entering service with the Union, Byzantine and Cialan Air Forces and is evaluated for further export. Serial production has been started several years ago and is expanding to cope with the orders.
The fighter underwent a heavy development limbo in the 1990s, when the course of development of the Union Navy was not clear. The Naval Aviation pitted it against Yak-241 STOVL aircraft, but eventually the shift of the doctrine towards fulldeck carriers, not only in UCSR but in Byzantium as well, and the finished reconstruction of the Kiev class vessels into small fulldeck carriers killed the necessity for STOVL aircraft and the MiG-LFI, renamed CF-02 under the common designation system, won the design competition.
The fighter features advanced avionics and unprecedented command and control, data-fusion and datalinking capabilities, much of which was drawn from collaborations with Byzantine companies such as Kontos Munitions, which supplied much of the computer hardware and software. These allow pilots a greater awareness of the battlefield and allow for greater coordination between pilot and radar operators.
The CF-02 was prepared for production when it was pressed by the Army to give the craft multi-role abilities, including air-to-ground weapons and corresponding internals, instead of pure air superiority missions. This required substantial research and additional thrust requirements. The MiG-LFMS is the next stage in serial production of lightweight fifth-generation fighters, with the first examples to roll off in late 2017.
Characteristics[]
CF-02 lightweight multirole fighter
General characteristics[]
- Crew: 1
- Length: 18,3 m
- Wingspan: 10,5 m
- Height: 5,3 m
- Empty weight: 9,800 kg
- Loaded weight: 12,100 kg
- Max takeoff weight: 19,000 kg
- Powerplant: 2 × RD-33MX1 3D thrust vectoring turbofans
- Dry thrust: 6000 kgf each
- Thrust with afterburner: 10000 kgf each
- Fuel capacity: 2900 kg
Performance[]
- RCS: 0,1-0,08 m.square
- Maximum speed:
- At altitude: Mach 2.2 (2350 kph)
- Supercruise: Mach 1.5
- Ferry range: 2800 km w/o conformal fuel tanks, 5000 km with CFT
- Combat radius: 1500 km
- Service ceiling: 21,500 m
- Wing loading: 415 kg/m²
- Thrust/weight: 1.4
- Maximum g-load: 10-11g
Armament[]
- 1 × 30mm GSh-301M internal cannon (1500 RPM, 200 ammo)
- 8 × external hardpoints
- 6 × internal hardpoints (6x AAM)
Avionics[]
- Zhuk-A FGA-35 AESA
- L/S-band AESA on wing and tail tips.
- 6 point Electro-optic/IR sensor system
- 3 High Bandwidth datalinks/databus
Variants[]
- CFN-02 (MiG-37) - navalised fighter for carrier operations, replacement for MiG-29K
- CF-02MF - modernization for multifunctional operations
CF-02MF modifications[]
- Powerplant: 2 × RD-33MX2 3D thrust vectoring turbofans
- Dry thrust: 8000 kgf each
- Thrust with afterburner: 15000 kgf each
- Maximum speed:
- At altitude: Mach 2.6
- Supercruise: Mach 1.8
- Armament:
- 8 × internal hardpoints (8x AAM or 4x AAM + 1x KAB-500)
- Fuel capacity: 3200 kg
Operators[]
- 20 CF-02
- 2 CFN-02 (joint trials)
- 2 CF-02MF (trials)
- 16 CF-02
- 2 CFN-02 (joint trials)
- 10 CF-02 (first batch)