The Soviet general staff asked for the essay about "PFI-Perspektivnyi Frontowoi Distribute" (future front fighter plane) as a counterpart to the American "FX" program in the late sixties. From the American "FX" program the F 15 went  in service 1974. The Soviet program parted 1971 into  the "TFI" (tjasholui = heavily) and the "LFI" (ljochki = easily). The Su 27 resulted from the TFI which was put in service in 1986  and the MiG 29 from the "LFI" which was put in service 1983.

The new airplane got the NATO code name "Fulcrum A". The tasks of the MiG 29 were predefined as follows : Operation of remote airfields, establish air superiority and be able to do some force protection escort as well as limited close air support for ground forces. It was developed to replace  both the MiG 21 and the MiG 23. Right from the beginning the designers put  main emphasis on  high manoeuvrability. The aerodynamic concept provided the integral style of fuselage and wings in which 40% of the lift is produced by the main section of the fuselage. The air intakes were put below the fuselage to ensure an undisturbed airflow at high angles of attacks into the jet engines.

The design was described as product 9 (also in the NVA). Out of 25 planned 19 prototypes were produced. (the prototypes had the  numbers 901 to 925) The first prototype 901 (temp. NATO code name "RAM L")  went airborne in October 1977 followed of the second in June 1978. The first Two-seater was the third prototype it made its first flight in 1981.  The first group of prototypes still caused big problems and so the second and fourth airplane already crashed in 1980.  After considerable changes board number 925 was finally produced as the product 9-12. 1982 the series production finally started. In April 1983 the training centre in Libizk was equipped with MiG 29 and in August 1983  the first combat squadron in Kubinka. 1986 the USSR already started with the first exports. Altogether over 800 MiG 29 were delivered to the Soviet forces  and only 500 were produced for export. 1990 the production of the MiG 29 ended for the GUS forces. There may have been some productions of MiG 29 UB and SD or N for export in 1995.