Aircraft

Bangalore air show: MiG-35 makes debut at Aero India

RSK MiG chose Aero India to display the MiG-35 publicly for the first time. A land-based version of the Indian navy's MiG-29KUB, the aircraft was first flown last month. The MiG-35 is being offered to meet the Indian air force's requirement for 126 multirole fighters.

Aleksei Fiodorov, RSK MiG general director - designer and president of United Aircraft (OAK) says MiG is ready to share "every technology" with India should the MiG-35 be selected.

The MiG-35 is first Russian aircraft fitted with an active electronically scanned array radar. The Phazotron-NIIR Zhuk-MA was publicly revealed by removing the aircraft's nosecone. The Zhuk-MA's antenna consists of 160 modules, each with four receive-and-transmit modules. It is believed to offer a 160km (85nm) air target detection radius and 300km for surface ships. Phazotron deputy general director Yuri Guskov says the radar on the aircraft exhibited at Aero India is an operable example being used for technology demonstration.

The MiG-35 is powered by two RD-33MKBs that can be fitted with KliVT swivel-nozzles and a thrust vectoring control (TVC) system. Vladimir Barkovsky, head of Mikoyan Engineering Center, says that although the modern fighters are rarely caught in a dogfight, the MiG-35's combination of TVC and advanced missile-warning sensors gives it an edge. "Those who do not have these systems on board say they are not necessary. But they will invariably add these systems to their aircraft in futureif you do not have these systems on board, your product becomes technically inferior to the competition."

© Vladimir Karnozov
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