In December 1969, the US Air Force selected the McDonnell Douglas F-15 design for its future air superiority fighter. In the same year, the USSR launched the Perspektivnyi Frontovoy Istrebityel (PFI or future tactical fighter) with the following requirements: a max speed of Mach 2.0-Mach 2.2 (2,500-2,700km/h); Mach 1.14-Mach 1.22 (1,400-1,500km/h) at sea level; a climb rate of 300-350m/sec (985-1,150ft/sec); a range of 2,500km (1,350nm) or 1,000km (540nm) at sea level, without auxiliary tanks. Taking part in the competition were Sukhoi with the Su-27, Mikoyan with MiG-29 and Yakovlev with the Yak-45 and Yak-47. Before a decision was made, the designers at Mikoyan felt their MiG-29 was losing to the Su-27 and proposed development of two new fighters like the United States: the heavy Su-27 (to match the F-15) and the lightweight MiG-29 (to match the F-16) and scaled down the MiG-29 design, which was originally a heavy fighter. The proposal was accepted in 1971 and both fighters, MiG-29 and Su-27, were ordered.
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