Vladimir Putin assisted by videoconference to the first MiG-35 flight tests begun in the company's industrial complex near Moscow. The serial production of the Mikoyan MiG-35 Fulcrum-F will start in the 2019. The Russian Air Force, which has not yet officially adopted the new MiG-35, has undertaken to purchase a first batch of 37 aircraft that will become fully operational by the 2020.
Despite the accumulated delays, Mikoyan guarantees a high production rate to fill the lost time. The MiG-35, evolution of the MiG-29, is classified by the Russians as an advanced 4 ++ fighter or fourth generation fighter. This term identifies a platform that presents fifth-generation devices implemented on a design evolved from the previous one. Not really a fighter stealth, but which presents various precautions such as, for example, low observability, avionics and vector thrust. The Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon, respectively fighters for the air superiority of the US Navy and almost all the NATO countries, are fighters of fourth and a half generation - 4,5.
The new MiG was presented for the first time in an air show in Bangalore, the 2007. Take advantage of the know-how acquired with the MiG-29 SMT Sokol (among these the S-31E2 KOLS system), developed towards the end of the nineties on the MiG-29S cell Gorbatyi. Sokol presents all the improvements introduced in the stage improvements of the Gorbatyi, in addition to being coated with a new absorbing radar paint.
The MiG-35 is 30 percent larger than the MiG-29 (photo on the right) and, in the intentions of the, will join the T-50 as a low-cost lightweight platform for air superiority. Compared to the original Fulcrum, the MiG-35 presents a new control system fly-by-wire. The MiG-29 is lighter than the MiG-35, thanks to its wide use of composite materials. The MiG-XNUMX is able to transport more fuel with a new digital management system.
The MiG-35 was initially designed for a thrust vector propulsion system. It is powered by two RD-33MKBs, also available in the vector-push variant (three hydraulic actuators that divert the nozzles mounted around the engine nacelle). Recent reports highlight "exceptional" capabilities for the evolution of the RD-33 engine. The Russian designers would have solved several critical issues that gripped previous models, such as poor reliability and smoke emission. The MiG-35 can rise to the pace of 330 m / s with a top speed of 2.400 kilometers per hour. Its autonomy is 2.000 km in clean configuration, extended to 3.100 km with additional external pods. It weighs about 11,000 kg with a maximum take-off weight of 29,700kg. The mono and two-seater D versions of the MiG-35 will not distort the final design of the cell: a way to maximize the effectiveness of the same production line.
The MiG-35 will incorporate Zhuk-MA electronic scanning radar, which can monitor targets at distances beyond 85 nautical miles. It will be equipped with an OLS localization system, a passive air-to-air electro-optical sensor that operates in both infrared and visual wavelengths. The OLS makes the aircraft less dependent on the interception of ground control, allowing it to carry out independent multi-role missions. The Russians believe that the OLS infrared sensor will be essential in identifying stealth aircraft such as the F-22 and the F-35.
A MiG-35, in its most performing version, costs 40 million dollars. If it confirms expectations, the Russians could buy 100 in the short term to triple that number. However, it is internationally (proposed with Zhuk-AE electronic scanning radar) that the MiG-35 could prove to be a real g. The easy cost of access makes the 4 ++ platform attractive to many countries.
(photo: Russian Aircraft Corporation "MiG")
