MiG-35: Everything you must know about the fighter jet Russia wants to sell to India
After-sales service for 40 years! (Come on, what else do you want?)
Meghana Ganeshan
Jul 24, 2017
Russia has introduced MiG-35, the latest generation of MiG aircraft at the MAKS 2017 Airshow in Moscow over the weekend. The MiGs have been an important part of the Indian Air Force for over half a century now so it makes perfect sense for Russia to pitch this as an upgrade to India.
MiG-35 is Russia’s most advanced 4 ++ generation multipurpose fighter jet which has been developed as yet another instalment of the serial-produced MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2 combat aircraft. It has been actively promoted in India and other parts of the world since it was initially presented in January 2017. While talks with the Indian Air Force (IAF) of winning the tender for the supply of these aircraft in India are still underway, the proposal is still only at the negotiation stage where the technical and technological specifications offered by MiG can be re-structured to meet India’s requirements.
Should India buy Mig-35?
MiGs are a preferred choice of aircraft for countries such as India because they aren’t just less expensive but are also a lot easier to maintain with spare parts being significantly cheaper than those of their European and American competitors. But MiG offers the one thing that every Indian who’s ever owned a car has always bargained for: great after-sales service. If India chooses to buy MiG-35, we will also get premium training as well as servicing of the aircraft for the next f-o-r-t-y years. Ilya Tarasenko, the Chief Executive officer of the MiG Aircraft Corporation, whose job it is to hardsell his product reminded reporters in Moscow that the MiG-35 is a lot more economical in the long run since it is almost 25 per cent cheaper than its competitors.
Features of Mig-35
Highlighting the key features of the MiG-35, Tarasenko explained that its technical specifications were close to a fifth generation aircraft, especially its flight capabilities, new range of weapons and defence systems as well as its stealth. The fact that it demonstrated the tail slide, barrel role and the nesterov loop at the MAKS 2017, is proof enough.
The plane is entirely made in Russia with Rostec companies like United Engine Corporation (UEC), KRET and Technodinamika contributing to the project. But what is most attractive about the MiG-35 is its new on board equipment and the high class quality of its weapons: air-to-air, air-to-ground and ground-to-sea features, Belyaev Mikhail, the Lead Test Pilot of the aircraft reported.
MiG-35 comes with improved avionics and weapons systems and can carry up to 7,000 kg of payload. Its radar system can detect up to 30 targets from a range of 130-160 km from air and engage with up to six targets simultaneously. MiG-35’s radar can also detect incoming fighter jets from 50 km and outgoing jets up to 90 km. Armed with a 30-mm cannon, the aircraft has 150 rounds of ammunition on board.
The two Klimov RD-33MK engines make the MiG-35 seven per cent more powerful than the MiG-29 and has an increased ferry range of up to 3100 km with its three external fuel tanks, along with an in-flight refuelling option taking its range up to 5,400 km. The MiG-29 on the other hand, has a ferry range of 1,500 km with no external fuel tanks, and 2,100 km with external tanks.
After a successful demonstration of the multi-role fighter plane at the MAKS 2017 air show, Russian officials estimate the first combat-ready plane to be delivered to the Indian Air Force next year. While 30 countries are currently using the MiG-29, talks are currently going on with potential buyers for purchasing its successor.
You can watch the MiG-35 in action below:
