Mikoyan MiG-44 DINGO

The Mikoyan MiG-44 DINGO (Russian: МиГ-44 «Динго») is a fictional two-seat, tandem-configuration heavy air superiority fighter developed by the Mikoyan Design Bureau. Designed during the late post–Cold War period, the MiG-44 was conceived as a simplified and more practical evolution of the cancelled MiG-1.44 project, prioritizing speed, range, and radar performance over experimental features such as thrust vectoring.

The aircraft is capable of sustained supersonic flight up to Mach 1.5 and features a front-to-back seating arrangement for a pilot and weapons systems officer (WSO). The MiG-44 served as the basis for the later MiG-45M HYENA, a multirole derivative optimized for strike and ground-attack missions.

Development:

Background

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ambitious MiG-1.44 fifth-generation fighter program was cancelled due to funding constraints and technical complexity. However, several aerodynamic and structural concepts from the program—such as blended wing-body shaping, forward fuselage chines, and internal weapons carriage—were considered viable for future platforms.

In this fictional timeline, Mikoyan initiated the MiG-44 DINGO program in the early 2000s as a cost-reduced heavy fighter, removing thrust-vectoring nozzles and advanced experimental avionics in favor of proven systems. The decision to adopt a two-seat configuration was driven by the aircraft’s long-range interception role and complex sensor suite.

Design Philosophy

Unlike the MiG-1.44, the MiG-44 emphasizes:

Mechanical simplicity

Reduced maintenance burden

Long-range air superiority and interception

Crew workload sharing

Thrust vectoring was removed entirely, resulting in fixed exhaust nozzles optimized for high-speed cruise and acceleration rather than extreme maneuverability.

The aircraft’s NATO reporting name, “DINGO,” reflects its role as a fast, aggressive interceptor rather than a stealth-optimized dogfighter.

Design
Airframe

The MiG-44 retains a delta wing with close-coupled canards, a design inherited from the MiG-1.44. The airframe incorporates limited radar cross-section reduction techniques but does not qualify as a true stealth aircraft.

Key structural features include:

Blended fuselage with pronounced chines

Twin canted vertical stabilizers

Tandem cockpit under a single-piece canopy

Internal weapons bays supplemented by external hardpoints

Cockpit

The aircraft features a two-seat, front-to-back layout, with:

Front seat: Pilot

Rear seat: Weapons Systems Officer (WSO)

Both cockpits are equipped with glass displays, hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls, and helmet-mounted cueing systems. The WSO manages radar, electronic warfare, and long-range missile engagements.

Powerplant

The MiG-44 is powered by two afterburning turbofan engines, derived from late-generation Klimov designs. Unlike its predecessor, the aircraft uses fixed exhaust nozzles, improving reliability and reducing cost.

Performance

The MiG-44 is capable of supercruise-assisted supersonic dash but relies on afterburners to reach its maximum speed of Mach 1.5. While less agile than thrust-vectored contemporaries, it compensates with high thrust-to-weight ratio and strong climb performance.

Armament
Internal

1 × 30 mm autocannon

Internal weapons bay capable of carrying:

Beyond-visual-range Hypersonic missiles

Short-range infrared-guided missiles

External

Up to 8 external hardpoints for:

Additional air-to-air missiles

Drop tanks

Electronic warfare pods