Sudden engine failure brought a MiG-29K down into the Mediterranean Sea last week, according to Russian media. The fighter crashed near the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier during a sortie inside Syria on Nov. 13. The Russian-language Gazeta.ru reported, citing the head of aviation security of the Russian Northern Fleet, that both engines of the fighter failed while the fighter was in a holding pattern near the carrier. An arresting cable on the carrier broke while another fighter landed, forcing the MiG to wait while the deck was cleared, the news agency reported. The pilot, who was experienced and had flown more than 200 carrier landings, ejected and was rescued.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
