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Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Russia’s MiG-35 Fighter: Really Just a MiG-29 on Steroids?

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

Summary and Key Points: The MiG-35, also known as the “Fulcrum-F,” is a modernized version of the MiG-29 designed as a “4++ generation” fighter.

First flown in 2016 and entering service in 2019, it features upgrades like an AESA radar, reduced radar signature, improved engines, and the ability to serve as a refueling tanker.

Despite these enhancements, the MiG-35 has struggled to find success, both domestically and internationally.

MiG-35 Profile (a MiG-29 Fulcrum by another name?)

Thanks to Vladimir Putin’s seemingly never-ending “special military operation” in Ukraine, chances are you’ve heard plenty about the MiG-29 “Fulcrum” and the Sukhoi Su-35 “Flanker E/M.”

But how many of you, dear readers, have heard of the MiG-35?

And for those of you who have, is it simply a souped-up Fulcrum by another name? Let’s take a closer look and try to shed some light on the subject.

MiG-35 History and Specifications

The Mikoyan MiG-35 (Микоян МиГ-35; NATO reporting name “Fulcrum-F”) made its maiden flight in December 2016 and officially entered into operational service with the Russian Aerospace Forces on June 17, 2019.

Marketed as a so-called “4++ generation” jet fighter, it’s basically an upgraded version of the MiG-29KR, and indeed, some pundits go so far as to assert that the “MiG-35” designation is little more than a mere marketing ploy on the part of Mikoyan. (“Madison Avenue Marketing, Moscow/Mikoyan-style,” I suppose you could call it.)

That assessment doesn’t seem too far off the mark, as it indeed uses the modern systems of the MiG-29M2 with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

Other enhancements include reduced radar signature, helmet-mounted targeting systems, new engines with increased thrust, and the ability to serve as an aerial refueling tanker.

NOTE: Mikoyan was previously known as Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau; in 2006, it became a division of the United Aircraft Corporation .

The MiG-35 has the following specifications (courtesy of Rosoboronexport (Russian Defence Export):

-Fuselage Length: 17.3 m (56 ft 9 in)

-Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)

-Height: 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)

-Empty Weight: 11,000 kg (24,251 lb)

-Max Takeoff Weight: 24,500 kg (54,013 lb)

-Powerplant: 2 × Klimov RD-33MK afterburning turbofan engines, 52 kN (12,000 lbf) thrust each dry, 88.2 kN (19,800 lbf) with afterburner

-Max Airspeed: 2,100 km/h (1,300 mph, 1,100 kn, Mach 1.69) at altitude (NOTE: To make matters a tad confusing, Airforce Technology reports a top speed of 2,400 km/h [Mach 1.943]

-Combat Range: 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi)

-Service Ceiling: 16,000 m (52,000 ft)

Armament:

-Guns

-hardpoints with a capacity of up to 6,500 kg (14,330 lb) of rockets, missiles, or bombs

Operational Performance

Truthfully, there is not a whole heck of a lot here to report thus far.

In November 2023, Dylan Malyasov of Defence Blog cited a statement by Sergei Korotkov, Chief Designer at UAC, who claimed that the MiG-35 was confirmed to have been deployed to the Ukraine conflict. However, further details were not forthcoming.

The Present and Near Future Status of the MiG-35

Not looking terribly promising thus far.

This warbird has failed to win bids with the air forces of Egypt, India, Argentina, Bangladesh, and Malaysia alike. (For the sake of fairness and balance, Peru, Myanmar, and Vietnam are still considering it).

Thomas Newdick of The WarZone goes so far as to refer to the Fulcrum-F as a “dead duck,” because “to date, Russia has purchased only six examples… prospects for the new-generation Fulcrum with the Russian Aerospace Forces appear slim. Combined with the continued ascendancy of the Flanker, and with the all-new Su-57 waiting in the wings, it’s becoming increasingly hard to make the case for a large-scale MiG-35 order.”

Simple Flying’s Aaron Spray corroborates Mr, Newdick’s statements, and adds some additional perspective for good measure:

Newsweek states, ‘Experts have raised concerns about the MiG-35, which was designed for intense conflict zones, but there are reports of issues with radar and engines.’ Perhaps one indication that the MiG-35 is not all the Russians make it out to be is that no country has ordered it (Russia had built it with hopes of exports). Meanwhile, export orders for the F-16 family remain strong…It is possible Russia has not purchased any more than the 2018 order for 6 airframes for the Aerobatic group Strikzhi [Swifts], as reported by Russia Today. It’s not MiGs but Sukhois that are the mainstay of the Russian fighter jet fleet. The Flanker family provides the backbone of the Russian fighter jet power.”

In other words, Sergei Korotkov’s public proclamations notwithstanding, the MiG-35s appear almost entirely and just for show.

Time will tell.

About the Author: Christian D. Orr

Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). In his spare time, he enjoys shooting, dining out, cigars, Irish and British pubs, travel, USC Trojans college football, and Washington DC professional sports.

Christian Orr
Written By

Christian D. Orr is a former Air Force officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch and The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS).

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. George

    August 4, 2024 at 8:49 am

    Russia developed the air frame first which allows it to upgrade to untold heights. They understand and can maneuver glide bodies at hyper sonic speeds. Want to talk about the F35?

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