East Germany bought 20 MiG-29As that arrived in 1988-1989. One of the aircraft was MiG-29A serial 2960526315/3712 manufactured in November 1988. With the fall of the USSR and the amalgamation of East and West Germany the West German Bundeswehr decided to keep the East German MiG-29s. The MiGs were assigned to JG-73 Steinhoff and later a program started to bring these aircraft up to NATO standards creating the G variant. On August 25, 2001 the aircraft received a special paint scheme for the 40th Anniversary of JG-73.