Hungary Puts Russian-Made Fighter Jets Up for Sale

If you ever dreamt about owning your own fighter jet, here’s your chance. Hungary’s defense ministry is selling off eight of its MIG-29 planes.

Hungary’s government has decided that it would part with the 24 planes to raise cash after they were retired from active duty.

The deadline for bids for the first stage of the sales involving eight planes and 20 thrusters is Sept. 15. The jets will be sold off in a one-round public tender to be concluded in October.

The MIG jets were designed by Soviet Union-based airplane factory Mikoyan and entered service in 1983. They’re widely used short-range fighters, originally developed to counter advanced models in the U.S. Air Force, such as F-15 or F-16. Mikoyan has since been merged into JSC United Aircraft Corporation, publicly traded in Russia, with the government retaining a majority stake.

Hungary received 28 MIG-29s in 1993 as debt compensation from Russia. The planes soon became local pilots’ favorites due to excellent maneuverability, which allowed the likes of Peter Kovacs, Gyula Vari and Zoltan Szabo to win world championship titles for flying them.

However, there were also downsides. MIGs are well-known for their high maintenance costs and high fuel consumption. Some planes in the fleet actually had to be salvaged in order to get spare parts to repair the others.

Also, when Hungary became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO in 1999, it became apparent that there would be compatibility issues. Instead of trying to prolong the MIGs’ lifespan and upgrading their systems, the government decided to replace them with Gripens manufactured by Sweden’s Saab.

If you can fork out at least 3.46 billion forints ($18.3 million), the minimum amount the ministry would accept for the package, you’re good to try. The deals are subject to the manufacturer’s approval.

Source: By Gergo Racz - August 26, 2011 -blogs.wsj.com

Photo: Hungarian MiG-29 Fulcrum

(30.08.2011)