MOSCOW, February 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's MiG aircraft manufacturer transferred on Friday 12 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters, modernized in line with NATO standards, to the Slovak Air Force.

The 12 MiG-29AS/MiG-29UBS fighters were upgraded in Slovakia by the MiG company and Western firms for NATO compatibility under a 2004 contract. The Slovak Air Force currently has a total of 21 MiG-29 aircraft in service.

The official transfer ceremony was held at the Sliac airbase in central Slovakia.

The MiG-29 is a 4th generation fighter aircraft designed for air superiority. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service in 1983 and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other nations.

The upgraded version features Rockwell Collins navigation and communications systems and BAE Systems IFF (Interrogation Friend or Foe) system. The Russian company supplied new glass cockpits with multi-function LCD displays and digital processors, and ensured integration of Russian and the Western equipment, a MiG spokesman said.

However, he said, the armaments for the fighter remained unchanged. The MiG-29 has seven external weapon hardpoints and can carry a 30mm built-in aircraft gun, two medium-range air-to-air missiles, up to six short-range air-to-air missiles, unguided rockets and air bombs.

According to the MiG company, the service life of the upgraded version has been extended until 2030-2035.