MiG-27M

This page is about the Soviet jet fighter MiG-27M. For the other MiG-27, see MiG-27K.

MiG-27M

Yak-28B

MiG-27K

MiG-27M

Yak-28B

MiG-27K

USSR

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
11.3	11.3	11.7

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:300 000

Purchase:830 000

Show in game

Description

Following the major upgrades to the MiG-27, which entered service as the MiG-27K in the late 1970s, the Soviet Air Force requested a cheaper variant to complement the MiG-27K (which was deemed too expensive to field completely). The new cheaper variant was projected to support the MiG-27K fleet at a 2:1 ratio at least, and was developed after the MiG-27K. This new variant, the MiG-27M, would retain the upgrades allowing it to use laser and TV-guided weapons, but would lack the upgraded avionics and advanced Kayra-23 laser-optical targeting system, instead settling on a cheaper and more readily available targeting system taken from the Su-17 Fitter family. This variant would enter service with not only the USSR, but also many export countries throughout the 1980s.

The MiG-27M, introduced in Update "Direct Hit", is a major upgrade in Soviet fighter-bomber aircraft over its predecessors. For starters, this aircraft finally brings guided ordnance to the hands of players working down the bomber line in the Soviet tech tree, and it does so well. With an assortment of various TV and laser-guided weapons, and the powerful "Gasha" GSh-6-30 rotary cannon (an aircraft-mounted AK-630 naval CIWS), the MiG-27M proves very reliable at dispatching ground targets with high precision in mixed battles. Unlike other dedicated precision strike aircraft, the MiG-27 family does not sacrifice its air combat capabilities that much either; having the basic airframe from a MiG-23BN, a decent amount of large countermeasures, and a complete loadout of R-13M1 and R-60M air to air missiles, the MiG-27s can hold their own in a dogfight if the need arises. Pilots who enjoy the MiG-27M's capabilities can look forward to the MiG-27K, which is a major upgrade in the avionics and ordnance department. Players who particularly enjoy the power of the GSh-6-30 cannon and are hungry for more can check out the various naval vessels equipped with the AK-630 CIWS system, including the MPK Pr.12412.

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 13 000 m2 200 km/h

Turn time36 s

Max altitude15 000 m

EngineTumansky R-29B-300

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight20 t

This aircraft has an excellent top speed, which means it can speed away from enemy fighters if needed, with flares and chaff assisting in countering incoming missiles. Despite being a heavy aircraft, the MiG-27M has one of the best sustained turning abilities among top-tier jets thanks to its variable swept wing design.

Compared with its fighter jet version, the MiG-23M, the MiG-27M is slightly heavier and has a lower thrust (despite the difference being very little). As a result, the MiG-27M can pull less Gs than the MiG-23M, specifically, it tends to pull one less G than the MiG-23M across all speeds. For example, at 800-900 km/h, the best speed range for these two aircraft to manoeuvre, the MiG-23M can pull 12Gs, whereas the MiG-27M can pull 11Gs. This characteristic, despite seemingly lowering the manoeuvrability of the aircraft, actually improves the experience since both the MiG-23M and MiG-27M break their wings at 12G. As a result, the MiG-23M could risk ripping its wings during manoeuvres, whereas the MiG-27M has no risk of damage.

The MiG-27M, just like the MiG-23M, feels sluggish in manoeuvres. However, despite the bad instantaneous turning and rolling ability, the MiG-27M has exceptional sustained turning and rolling ability for a medium-heavy fighter. At speeds lower than 900 km/h and with the wings turned to forward position, the MiG-27M can outmanoeuvre most top-tier jets, even including the F-5Cs and MiG-21s. At 400 km/h, with the wings set to the most forward position, the MiG-27M somewhat resembles a piston-engine attacker, with superb lift and great sustained turn rate. This is extremely helpful in a 1v1 situation, where you can use this characteristic to trick your enemy into low speed and outmanoeuvre them easily.

To be noted though, the high-speed manoeuvrability of the MiG-27M is not exceptional at all. At supersonic speeds and the wings fully swept back, the MiG-27M can only pull 8Gs of overload, significantly less than the 10 to 11Gs of the F-4Es and the JA-37s. Also, the MiG-27M does not hold its speed well in turns. In such case, it is advised to keep your speed and do less manoeuvres in most times during a battle.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 13,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	2,182	2,172	15000	36.6	36.8	133.9	127.3	750
Upgraded	2,220	2,200		35.4	36.0	177.8	155.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
X	✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1,417	630	N/A	508	473	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 675	< 650	< 700	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
Tumansky R-29B-300		1	11,605 kg		419 - 472 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)				Max Takeoff Weight
Weight (each)	Type		11m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	39m fuel
1,780 kg	Afterburning axial-flow turbojet		12,964 kg	13,912 kg	15,065 kg	16,135 kg	20,760 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition	100%	WEP	11m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	39m fuel	MTOW
Stationary	7,950 kgf	10,208 kgf	0.79	0.73	0.68	0.63	0.49
Optimal	8,268 kgf (1,400 km/h)	12,633 kgf (1,400 km/h)	0.97	0.91	0.84	0.78	0.61

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear630 km/h

The plane gets some 10 mm armour behind the pilot, and 9 mm on each side of the pilot. This will not really save you against the firepower faced in top-rank jet battles and is more against the stray machine gun round or shrapnel from ground attacks.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 722 → 3 987

RB7 992 → 11 708

SB8 679 → 12 714

Total cost of modifications262 200

409 000

Talisman cost2 900

Crew training240 000

Experts830 000

Aces3 000

Research Aces1 140 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 310 / 600 %

238 / 238 / 238 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 New boosters Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 440 Wings repair Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 Engine Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 530	Fuselage repair Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 Airframe Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 440 G-suit Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 Cover Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 530	GSh-30-2K_belt_pack Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 Flares/Chaff Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 ZB-500 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 Kh-23M Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 GSh-30-2K_new_gun Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 440 B-8M1 Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 440 FAB-250 Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 440 Kh-25 Research: 9 900 Cost: 15 000 440 Gun pod SPPU-22-01 Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 S-24 Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 FAB-500 Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 40px Kh-29L Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 ns23_belt_pack Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 530 EFS Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 530 R-60M Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 530 KAB-500Kr Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 530 40px Kh-29T Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 530

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)

Offensive armament

The MiG-27M is armed with:

• A choice between two presets:
  • 1 x 30 mm GSh-6-30 cannon, belly-mounted (300 rpg)
  • 1 x 30 mm GSh-6-30 cannon (300 rpg) + 72 x countermeasures

The GSh-6-30 is the most powerful cannon mounted on any top-tier aircraft. It uses large 30 mm rounds and has an incredibly high rate of fire at just under 5,000 rounds per minute. This means that it will fire about 83 rounds every second! A brief burst will obliterate any aircraft. In a ground attack role, it will perforate thinly armoured targets like light tanks and SPAAs and can even penetrate the roof armour of some MBTs. However, there are a few things to keep in mind: as with other Gatling guns, it needs a brief spool-up time before firing that should be accounted for when firing short bursts, and the 300 round ammunition supply can be depleted in no time at all — about 3.6 seconds to be more precise.

The MiG-27M has a good supply of large-calibre countermeasures, launched from dispensers mounted on the wing gloves. Their number and size make it much easier to defend against missiles from enemy aircraft and disrupt the radar locks of SPAA.

Suspended armament

The MiG-27M can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg)	1						1
100 kg OFAB-100 bombs	4	1	4	4	4	1	4
250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
250 kg OFAB-250Sh bombs	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
500 kg FAB-500Sh bombs	1		1	1	1		1
500 kg KAB-500Kr bombs	1*		1*		1*		1*
ZB-500 incendiary bombs	1		1		1		1
S-5K rockets	32		32		32		32
S-8KO rockets	20		20		20		20
S-24B rockets	1		1		1		1
Kh-23M missiles	1†						1†
Kh-25ML missiles	1*		1*		1*		1*
Kh-29L missiles	1*						1*
Kh-29T missiles	1*						1*
R-13M1 missiles	1						1
R-60M missiles	2						2
Delta-NG targeting pod			1†
800 l drop tanks				1
Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 700 kg
* KAB-500Kr bombs, Kh-25ML, Kh-29L, and Kh-29T missiles cannot be mixed, only one type may be carried across hardpoints † It is required to equip the Delta-NG targeting pod with the Kh-23M missiles

Default weapon presets

1 x 800 l drop tank 2 x R-13M1 missiles 4 x R-60M missiles 22 x 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs (2,200 kg total) 7 x 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs (1,750 kg total) 7 x 250 kg OFAB-250Sh bombs (1,750 kg total) 7 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (3,500 kg total) 5 x 500 kg FAB-500Sh bombs (2,500 kg total) 4 x 500 kg KAB-500Kr bombs (2,000 kg total) 4 x ZB-500 incendiary bombs 128 x S-5K rockets 80 x S-8KO rockets 4 x S-24B rockets 2 x Kh-23M missiles 4 x Kh-25ML missiles 2 x Kh-29L missiles 2 x Kh-29T missiles 2 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg = 500 total)

As an attacker, the MiG-27M's air-to-air armament has been downgraded compared to the MiG-23M. It lost the ability to carry the medium range R-23R/R-23T missiles and thus has no BVR capabilities. It can still carry the all-aspect R-60M IR missile, which are suitable for dogfights, but only four can be carried at once.

The ground attack armaments are understandably much improved over the original Flogger. New offerings here include laser-guided Kh-25ML and Kh-29L missiles, TV-guided Kh-29T missiles, TV-guided KAB-500Kr bombs, S-8KO rockets, ZB-500 incendiary bombs, and 23 mm gun pods. The guided weapons are the MiG-27M's most important tools in Ground RB because they can engage and destroy targets from relatively safe distances. However there are a couple of limiting factors: the MiG-27M has a primitive laser designation system with a narrow field of view, low zoom, and no actual targeting pod. Thus it can be difficult to identify, track, and hit targets with the laser-guided weapons, especially when flying at high speeds. The Kh-29T and KAB-500Kr are easier to use because of their onboard TV cameras and fire-and-forget nature, but be aware of the drawbacks of TV-guided weapons: poor performance at night and the inability to redirect them if a target is destroyed or breaks line of sight.

Usage in battles

Air RB:

Thanks to its great low-altitude performance and powerful cannon armament, the MiG-27M can be a good fighter jet in Air RB. Generally speaking, the best tactic for playing it as a fighter jet is similar to that of the MiG-23M: heading to the left after take-off, keeping the altitude under 500 m, postponing your entry as late as possible, then engaging in head-on combat using the all-aspect R-60Ms and your powerful GSh-6-30 cannon.

Since the MiG-27M has a significant low-altitude speed advantage compared with most of its opponents, it is advised to keep your speed throughout the battle. However, when there's only one or two enemies left, the MiG-27M could quickly become a dogfighter by setting its wing to about 50% angle. In such a setting without load, the MiG-27M can pull 11Gs at 900 km/h, and with even more aggressive dogfighting techniques and less angle for the wing, the MiG-27M is capable of dogfighting light fighters like F-5Cs and MiG-21MFs.

Enemies worth noting:

• J35Ds, since it is the only aircraft that could certainly win a dogfight against MiG-27M.
• F-5Es, F-5Cs and MiG-21s, since they are great dogfighters, but it is still possible to defeat them in dogfights.
• F-4EJ Kai, JA37C, Phantom FG.1/FGR.2, since they have doppler radars and great mid-range missiles.

The MiG-27M could also be played as an attacker in Air RB. When doing so, though, it is still advised to take the 4 R-60Ms and play using the tactic mentioned above to maximize your survivability. Once flanked to the back of the enemy, rush to a base and drop your bombs, then either play it as a fighter jet or ground strike the enemy targets.

Ground RB

The MiG-27M is a great aircraft for ground RB because of its decent manoeuvrability, the variety of guided weapons it can carry, and its GSh-6-30 cannon. To use it effectively, first shoot down any opposing aircraft using the R-60Ms, then deploy whatever weapons you have on-board against tanks. The cannon is also remarkably effective against the thin sides of western MBTs and other lightly armoured targets. Using all your armaments effectively, it is possible to kill quite a few targets in one run. KAB-500s will not follow moving targets so it is recommended to drop them from short ranges which can be difficult due to the loss of control in the targeting mode. Also be careful not to exceed Mach 1 when attempting to drop bombs or they will not drop. Kh-29Ts will track targets but only have a lock and launch range of 5 km. In addition, the Kh-29T loadout does not contain R-60Ms, leaving you vulnerable to rival CAS.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Very high top speed at low altitude
• Good sustained turning ability, could even dogfight F-5Cs at lower speed
• Variable swept wing design allows impressive performance at any speed
• Powerful cannon, highly effective at destroying both ground and air targets
• Wide variety of suspended weapons, including TV-guided bombs
• The TV-guided weapons lock on to target faster than their NATO counterparts
• Thanks to its laser targeting system, it is no longer needed to point the nose exactly at the target, just need to point it in the general direction

Cons:

• Lacks radar and IRST for air-to-air combat
• Lacks mid-range missiles
• The cannon has a spool up time before it can be fired
• The cannon has a paltry ammunition capacity for its rate of fire, requiring stringent trigger discipline
• Bad instantaneous turn and roll rate, making it hard to catch most windows at high speed
• R-60Ms are easily defeated by countermeasures
• KAB-500s do not track target after lock on

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the MiG-27M from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Attack Aircraft Reborn - War Thunder Official Channel

The Shooting Range #269 - Metal Beasts section at 00:27 discusses the MiG-27M.

See also

Related development

• MiG-23 (Family)

Other jet planes with variable sweep wings

• Tornado (Family)
• Su-17/22 (Family)
• F14 (Family)
• F-111A

External links

• [Devblog] MiG-27M and guided bombs in War Thunder!
• Official data sheet - more details about the performance