Roughly One Third of Russian Fighter Jets Deemed Obsolete and Unsafe

The real story here seems not to be that some of Russia's most important military aircraft are now obsolete, but rather that the planes are actually no longer safe for flight. Military equipment has a relatively short lifespan in typical instances, since new technologies are constantly emerging to replace and enhance existing equipment. But equipment that is obsolete is not the same as equipment that is no longer functional. And that seems to be the case in Russia. It's once-heralded fleet of Mig-29 fighters is now considered unsafe for flight. Obviously, planes designed and constructed in the 1970s and 1980s should no longer be your best military aircraft -- but they should most certainly still be able to fly safely.

The issue here may speak more to lack of maintenance and outright neglect than one of a lack of military technology. Apparently, the planes had been suffering from a significant degree of corrosion and two of the planes crashed within a 2 month time frame last year. A Russian pilot died in one of the crashes, and corrosion appeared to be the dominant factor in both instances.

Exports of Russian military technology have shown signs of trouble as a result of the breakdown in the Migs. Algeria recently returned planes it had purchased from Russia, citing poor parts. And Russia recently announced that it would be gifting 10 Migs to Lebanon, but that the planes would all be in various states of aging and repair.