Mikoyan MiG-35

For the aircraft previously incorrectly known as MiG-35, see Mikoyan Project 1.44.

MiG-35 Fulcrum-F
Type	Multirole fighter
Manufacturer	Mikoyan
Maiden flight	2007
Status	On offer
Developed from	Mikoyan MiG-29

The Mikoyan MiG-35 (Template:Lang-ru, NATO reporting name "Fulcrum-F") is a mature development of the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-29K/KUB technology. Classified as a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft, it was created to participate in the Indian MRCA Competition, and is the third modification on the existing MiG-29M2 airframe which previously served as MiG-29M2 model demonstrator. NATO's reporting name for the MiG-35 is Fulcrum F. Unlike the F/A-18 or MiG-29, the MiG-35 is now classed as a medium-weight aircraft because its maximum take-off weight has increased by 30 percent. Drop tanks and a mid-air refueling system allow it to fly long-range combat missions.

The MiG-35 was officially unveiled when the Russian Minister of Defence, Sergey Ivanov, visited Lukhovitsky Machine Building Plant "MAPO-MIG". Its vastly improved avionics and weapon systems, notably the new uniquely designed Optical Locator System (OLS), relieves the aircraft from relying on ground-controlled interception (GCI) systems and enables it to conduct independent multi-role missions.

The aircraft is being marketed under the designation MiG-35 (single seat) and MiG-35D (dual-seat) for export. MiG Corporation had their first official international MiG-35 presentation during Aero India 2007.

Development

The MiG-35/MiG-35D exhibits the latest advancements on MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2 fighters in combat efficiency enhancement, universality and operational characteristics improvement.

The main features of the new design are the fifth-generation information-sighting systems, compatibility with Russian and foreign origin weapons application and an integrated variety of defensive systems to increase combat survivability. The new overall design overtakes the design concepts of the baseline model and enables the new aircraft to conduct full-scale multi-role missions as their western counterparts.

New avionics are intended to allow the aircraft to retain air superiority against fourth- and fifth-generation fighters as well as to perform all-weather precision ground strikes, aerial reconnaissance with opto-electronic and radar equipment and to conduct complex joint missions.The new aircraft has greater weapon-load on nine pylons, increased fuel capacity, better anti-corrosion protection, significantly reduced radar signature and a quadruply-redundant fly-by-wire control system.

Responding to earlier criticism, the new design is substantially more reliable than the previous variants. The airframe lifetime and its service life have been extended and it is fitted with new engines with longer mean time between overhauls (MTBO), resulting in a decrease in flight-hour cost of almost 2.5 times compared to those of the old variants. The new engines are now smokeless and compromised FADEC type electronic control system for better performance. All aspect vector nozzles which had been demonstrated on MiG-29OVT are also ready upon custom configuration. On-condition maintenance is being built-in to the new design.

Other technological improvements were also introduced to enhance the aircraft's ability to conduct independent operations. For example, an airborne oxygen generation plant was added. RAC MiG and the Italian company Elettronica signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide the MIG-35 with a new multifunction self-protection jammer.

Furthermore, the RAC MiG engineers developed a set of training simulators to help pilots master the sophisticated controls of the new aircraft. The simulators offer interactive computer-based training systems and offer full-mission motion simulation.

The first demonstrator, a dual-seat aircraft, was built on an existing MiG-29M2 airframe, which previously served as a demonstrator for modifications designated MiG-29MRCA and MiG-29M2. It was presented for the first time at an international air show when the aircraft was unveiled at Aero India 2007.

Unveiling at Aero India 2007

Russia unveiled the MiG-35 at the Aero India 2007 airshow in Bangalore, amid Moscow's keenness to sell these planes to India. It was reported that the MiG-35 made its way from Moscow to Bangalore in less than three hours, assisted by in-flight refueling on the way and flying at supersonic speeds.

The MiG-35 is a contender with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, JAS 39 Gripen and F-16 Falcon for the bid of more than 126 multirole combat aircraft (MRCA) to be procured by the Indian Air Force.

Aero India 2007 was the first time that the final version of the MiG-35 fighter was displayed in an international air show. Until then, only the prototype of the MiG-35 had been shown to the public at air shows in Russia and the UK in 2005.

Description

Design features

The most important changes are the Phazotron Zhuk-AE active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the RD-33MK engines and the newly designed Optical Locator System (OLS). Other obvious changes in the cockpit are the reduction in analog electronics.

Power plant

The RD-33MK "Morskaya Osa" (Template:Lang-ru: "Sea Wasp") was installed by the new modification. It is the latest version of the RD-33 and was intended to power the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB. It has 7% more power compared to the baseline model due to the use of modern materials in the cooled blades, providing a higher thrust of 9,000 kgf. In response to earlier criticism, the new engines are smokeless and embody systems that reduce infrared and optical visibility. The engines may be fitted with vectored-thrust nozzles, which would result an increase in combat efficiency by 12 to 15%.

Cockpit

Analog electronics are minimized, being replaced by 3 equal-size colour liquid-crystal (LCD) multi-function displays (MFDs) and an additional display for the OLS (the MiG-35D rear cockpit has four LCDs).

Sensors

New modifications include the newly rolled-out Phazotron Zhuk-AE active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and an optical complex consisting of the newly designed OLS under the right air intake, to replace previous IRST sensor, and a pair of laser emission detectors on each wing tip.

The new airborne AESA radar offers a wider range of operating frequencies, providing more resistance to electronic countermeasures (ECM), more detection range, more air and ground targets detected and tracked simultaneously and able to be engaged.

The OLS, a new development from space technologies, incorporates a helmet-mounted target designation system providing targeting solutions for both ground and air targets in the forward and aft hemispheres of the aircraft. The most vital difference from the previous IRST sensor is that the new device provides not only a better operation range but also offers manually switchable display options of IR view, TV mode or a mix of both to significantly improved man-machine coordination.

Summary statistic of the OLS

In air combat, the electronics suite allows:

• Detection of non-afterburning targets at 45 km range and more;
• Identification of those targets at 8 to 10 km range; and
• Estimates of aerial target range at up to 15 km.

For ground targets, the suite allows:

• A tank-effective detection range up to 15 km, and aircraft carrier detection at 60 to 80 km;
• Identification of the tank type on the 8 to 10 km range, and of an aircraft carrier at 40 to 60 km; and
• Estimates of ground target range of up to 20 km.

The defensive system equipment consists of radar reconnaissance, electronic countermeasures, and optical systems — notably the laser emission detector on each wingtip — which are able to detect and evaluate the approaching danger and operate decoy dispensers to counteract the approaching threat in the radar and infrared ranges.

Other

The aircraft is designed to be compatible with foreign avionics and weapon systems.

Specifications

The MiG-35 is currently in development. Information listed below is preliminary and may change.

See also

Related development

• Mikoyan MiG-29

Comparable aircraft

• Sukhoi Su-27
• Mitsubishi F-2
• F-16 Fighting Falcon
• F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
• Dassault Rafale

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
• List of fighter aircraft

External links

• RAC MiG Corporation Page on MiG-35/MiG-35D
• Klimov Page on RD-33 engine
• Klimov Page on RD-33MK 'Sea Wasp' engine
• Klimov Page on OVT Thrust Vectoring Nozzle used on the MiG-29M OVT variant
• Russia would offer Mig-35 to India
• Russia set to offer MiG-35 fighters to India : Times Of India
• Picture of the 2nd MiG-35 - this has been slated as the production version
• Russia sells its latest fighter jets to India, RIA Novosti, 12:24 | 23/02/2007
• MiG-35 / 1.42 Multirole Front-Line Fighter (MFI) on GlobalSecurity.org
• Federation of American Scientists page about MiG-35

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mikoyan MiG-35".