BARK-88 To Add Bite To MiG-29 Fighter Jets

A digital engine control system, BARK-88 developed by Russia’s United Engine Corporation (UEC) will significantly enhance the potential of the RD-33 engine that powers the MiG-29 fighter jet in service with India and several other countries.

The BARK-88 system enables better regulation of engine performance, stretches the performance envelope, and improves the engine's adaptation to environmental conditions, according to Russian sources.

With India embarking upon a major modernization of its MiG-29 fleet and converting it from an air superiority fighter jet to a multi-role aircraft capable of ground attack, the BARK-88 system would be a major performance enhancement to the engine, the sources told Defenseworld.net.

The BARK-88 is a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) developed exclusively for the RD-33 engine. The system is being offered to India as part of the MiG-29 UPG program to upgrade some 64 aircraft. The first of the upgraded aircraft was shown publicly for the first time during the IAF day in October 2018.