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Russia’s MiG-35 Fighter Has Just 1 Mission (But There’s a Problem)

MiG-35 Fighters from Russia
MiG-35 Fighters from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Key Points – Russia’s long-struggling MiG-35 “Fulcrum-F” fighter program is reportedly getting a new lease on life through a series of significant upgrades, many borrowed from the Su-57 “Felon.”

-The MiG-35 was built to take on NATO’s best fighters, but has run into a lot of problems.

-To enhance its combat effectiveness and export appeal, the MiG-35 is slated to receive new longer-range air-to-air missiles (R-77-1), an advanced AESA radar, a helmet-mounted targeting system, standoff cruise missiles (Kh-59MK2), and an improved electronic warfare suite.

-While these planned improvements aim to make the 4++ generation fighter more competitive, its ultimate success in production numbers and on the international market remains uncertain given its history of limited sales and operational use.

Failed Russian MiG-35 Gets a New Lease on Life

A once dormant Russian fighter jet program is getting a shot in the arm after years of inactivity and failed sales on the export market.

The MiG-35 Fulcrum-F, a multirole, medium-sized warplane, is making a nascent comeback.

Early in the war in Ukraine and dating back to the beginning of the decade only six MiG-35s were flying, a paltry number for a fighter the Russians had such high hopes for. Now there could a renaissance in store for the MiG.

There were very few MiG-35s exported to Russian allies, an embarrassment for the air force.

But Military Watch magazine is reporting that the MiG-35 is finally getting interest for foreign sales, giving some relief to the beleaguered program.

Russian defense contractors are firing up the production lines with big goals.

Trying to Get Some Russian Fighters to Make a Difference in Combat

Moscow’s combat planners have conducted after-action reviews for their fighter jets and concluded that the MiG-35 needs to make some changes if it is to be sold overseas and be effective over Ukraine.

Russian airplanes often stay out of Ukrainian airspace and fire unsophisticated glide bombs and air-to-ground missiles from inside the homeland’s borders. This is not what Vladimir Putin and his generals expected.

They assumed Russian fighters would achieve air dominance early, but Ukraine had other plans. The MiG-35 will incorporate some new technologies borrowed from the stealth Su-57 Felon to conduct better combat operations. Military Watch listed some of the new upgrades for the MiG-35.

Greater Range for Russian Air-to-Air Missiles

Russia does not possess effective and modernized air-to-air missiles and defense firms hope to incorporate the improved medium-range R-77-1 missile to provide a boost to the dogfighting skills for the MiG-35.

American missiles such as the Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) has the advantage over existing air-to-air missiles in the Russian inventory. JATM is a next-generation beyond visual range weapon with a modern radar-homing guidance system. The older Russian missiles are simply outclassed by the JATM. The U.S. projectiles have a much greater range which puts the MiG-35 at a tremendous disadvantage.

The R-77-1 has a range of 120 miles which shortens the gap considerably. The new Russian missile is more difficult to jam and it’s guided by AESA radar for better targeting.

Updated Short-range Projectile

Another way to improve the efficacy of the MiG-35 is to equip it with the Izdeliye 810 long-range air-to-air missile. This projectile is brand new and is smaller than other missiles in the inventory. The Izdeliye again solves the lack of range problem and packs a better punch than older weapons carried by the MiG-35.

Replacing the Antiquated Radar

One other problem with the MiG-35 is its antiquated radar. Without something new, the MiG would never have succeeded in aerial combat and would have trouble targeting the new missiles.

The Fulcrum-F featured the older passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar.

Now it will have the more up-to-date AESA active electronically scanned array radar that can improve survivability, electronic warfare, and situational awareness into the 2030s. The AESA that will be on the MiG-35 is similar to the Su-57’s radar system.

It’s About Time the MiG-35 Gets Helmet-Targeting

Another improvement will be to incorporate the Su-57’s helmet-mounted targeting system. Pilots love this feature; it gives them an advantage in dogfighting. The American F-35 has something similar for its aviators.

Shiny New Cruise Missile and Glide Bomb

The MiG-35 will also carry a new stand-off cruise missile and guided ground strike munition.  The Kh-59MK2 cruise missile is the must-have weapon in the Russian arsenal and it comes standard on the Su-57. This gives the Fulcrum-F long-range strike capability.

There is also the PBK-500U Drel precision-guided glide bomb. As you see, the Russians love their glide bombs and expect this munition to be used repeatedly by Russian pilots. This is a fire-and-forget projectile that the Russians hope will make Ukrainian soldiers duck for cover and cower in trenches.

The weapon is designed for close air support and helping friendly combatants in tight spots. Glide bombs are also easier to produce and less expensive than cruise missiles and the more sophisticated precision-guided munitions.

Better Electronic Warfare

The MiG-35 will also use the Su-57’s new electronic warfare suite. The system will deliver effective countermeasures and jam enemy radar. This is something that the F-35 does so well, and it brings the MiG-35 to the modern era.

This all sounds great, but what is Russia attempting to do strategically with this airplane? Will it make a difference in the war?

The Su-57 has not enjoyed stellar success. The Russians fear it could be shot down and this would be a huge public relations win for the Ukrainians if they destroyed a fifth-generation Felon. If the goal is to sell the Fulcrum-F overseas, there are no guaranteed customers for the Russians these days. The Su-57’s only customer is Algeria, so why would any foreign air force want to buy a non-stealth airplane like the MiG-35 despite the improvements?

But give the Russian credit for trying to enhance an aircraft that has been abandoned by the defense industry. The new missiles and bombs are badly needed. The situational awareness and survivability has been improved and MiG-35 pilots will be enthused even if the Fulcrum-F is not produced in numbers and fails to make waves in the export market.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.

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Brent M. Eastwood
Written By

Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.

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