The employment of fighters follows the GCI model (Ground-Controlled Interception), a Soviet legacy. The Russian QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) is ground-controlled: ground control detects and guides, the fighter confirms the target, and the SAM layer engages. Fighter and missile are complementary within the IADS (see § 5.3).
That employment philosophy also shapes pilot training and culture:
| Characteristic | Russian practice |
|---|---|
| Training | Short, rigid, inflexible — initiative not encouraged |
| Flying hours | ± 20–60 hours per year (low by Western standards) |
| Mission type | Fixed scenarios, "drills and skills", short clear orders |
| Role concept | Single-role aircraft; limited multirole |
| Refuelling (AAR) | Not required within the concept |
| Performance indicator | Sorties (flights flown), not flying hours |
Quantity over quality
Lower individual quality is compensated with numbers and redundancy within the A2/AD system. The ± 800 MiG-29s were once called the "TIE fighter of the Soviet Union": mass, expendable, employed within a larger whole. GCI allows short, simple C2 planning and keeps the fighters in step with the ground forces.