The export of MiG-35 has been hampered by the delay in testing, high costs, and poor performance in comparison to Su-27, Su-30 and MiG-29, according to experts. The Global Defense Corp has labelled the Russian MiG-35 fighter jet a “lemon”. In doing so, they have also sent an indirect signal to India and other nations against the purchase of Russian MiG-35s.
The MiG-35 is a new export variant that combines the modern systems of the MiG-29M2 with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and manufactured by Mikoyan. The fighter plane has the thrust vectoring of the MiG-29OVT as an additional option.
MiG Corporation made its first official international MiG-35 presentation during Aero India 2007. MiG-35 Fulcrum-F is an export version of the MiG-29M OVT (Fulcrum F).
One of the primary reasons why the MiG-35 has rarely been ordered by foreign countries is due to the delays in testing. While the MiG-35 enterer development in 2014 thanks to defence ministry funding, the fighter is still undergoing its mandated state flight-test campaign.
It had been hoped that trials would be completed by late 2018 or early 2019 but the date has not been pushed to 2021 according to Mikoyan Design Bureau’s press release.
According to Thomas Newdick, the requirement for a fighter like MiG-35 looks increasingly questionable. With just one frontline MiG-29 unit remaining in the “lightweight” fighter order of battle, it’s hard to see exactly where the MiG-35 fits in. Rather than trading legacy Fulcrums for brand-new MiG-35s, some squadrons have switched to the “heavyweight” Su-30SM Flanker instead.
Additionally, when it comes to the price tag, the difference between “lightweight” products from Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG and the “heavyweight” offerings from the Sukhoi shelter can be overstated. Even in its original form, the cost of a basic MiG-29 was 80% that of the Su-27 Flanker.
Radar Systems
The MiG-35 is a far cry from the basic and strictly limited capability MiG-29. The advanced cockpit is furnished with three colour liquid-crystal displays as well as a monochrome head-up display (HUD). The fighter’s Phazotron-NIIR FGM-129 Zhuk-M radar — inherited from the carrier-based MiG-29KR/KUBR — features a mechanically scanned slotted-array antenna rather than an AESA.
Read More Why Russia Can’t Make An AESA Radar?:
Although the MiG-35 has had its problems and does not make a great addition to the Indian Air Force (IAF), but remains a capable jet.
Self-protection Jammers
The MiG-35 was supposed to feature a modern self-protection suite in which a radar warning receiver is combined with a missile approach warning system and two wingtip laser warners. The suite can be complemented by an external radar jamming pod. The EU embargo made it impossible for Italian company work with Mikoyan to develop self-protection suite for MiG-35.
R-77 Missiles
The latest-generation armament also includes both air-to-air and air-to-ground stores, among them the RVV-SD air-to-air missile, an improved version of the R-77, with active radar seeker for engagements at beyond visual range.
Alongside the full range of conventional air-to-ground weapons, new-generation precision-guided stores include the modular Kh-38 air-to-surface missile and the Grom family of glide munitions.
Rejected By Buyers
While most Russian fighter jets have found buyers easily, the MiG-35 has been extremely troublesome to export. Even the Russian Air Force has been hesitant to add the MiG-35 jet to its fleet.
According to experts, the MiG-35 has not interested buyers because other Russian jets have performed incredibly well. Jets such as Su-27, Su-30, MiG-29 and MiG-21 have proved to be agile and dependent and have become the mainstay in foreign air forces.
For example, in February 2017, Armenia decided to replace its MiG-29s with MiG-35s. However, with no follow-on contract signed, delivery of the jets to the air force’s Armenian outpost has become an increasingly remote prospect. More recently, it’s been suggested the base will start to receive the Su-30SMs instead.
A similar scenario unfolded with Egypt. Cairo decided to purchase Mig-35s but then changed its mind and purchased MiG-29s and Su-35s instead.
So far Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Egypt, Armenia, Algeria and Myanmar rejected the “Lemon” AKA MiG-35.
The MiG-35 was also a contender with the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon in the Indian Multirole Combat Aircraft (MRCA) competition for 126 multirole combat aircraft to be procured by the IAF.
During the competition, however, India’s Ministry of Defense was frustrated with the problems of the aircraft’s avionics with the radar not able to achieve the maximum targeting distance during tests. Also, the RD-33MK engines were not shown to reach sufficient thrust. As a result, the MiG-35 was ousted from the contest in April 2011. The IAF complaint last 30 years to rectify smokey RD-33MK engines fitted on to MiG-29UPG, but Indian complaints went to deaf ears.
The aircraft is now competing with 6 other aircraft in a fresh tender which is referred to as MMRCA 2.0 in the Indian media, for the procurement of 114 multi-role combat aircraft.
Read More MiG-35 : A Lemon from Russia’s Mikoyan Design Bureau:
Without a doubt, the MiG-35 is a lemon, hence prospects for this Fulcrum F with the Russian Aerospace Forces appear slim. Combined with the continued ascendancy of European and American 4.5 generation fighters availability for Southeast Asian, African and Latin American markets it’s becoming increasingly hard to make the case for a Soviet-era MiGs.
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