MWM: Russia is going to revive the MiG-35 fighter program
Russia is going to resume production of MiG-35 light fighters, writes MWM. The resumption of the program is due to the conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent round of tension in relations with NATO countries that are deploying forces near the Russian borders, the author explains.
According to multiple sources, the Russian Ministry of Defense and the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) are allocating new investments for the MiG-35 fighter program, whose future has seemed very vague since 2019. The Russian Air Force received six MiG-35 fighters in 2019, and the previously announced order for several dozen aircraft has not been implemented. The aircraft is a deep modernization of the MiG-29, which was developed as a lighter analogue of the Su-27 and entered service with the Soviet Air Force back in 1982. The MiG-35 is a further development of the ideas embedded in the MiG—29M, which entered production in 2015.
However, if the interest of the Russian Ministry of Defense in the MiG-35 turned out to be very restrained, then the MiG-29M did not receive any attention at all, but was built exclusively for export: 60 units were sold to Egypt and Algeria. The main reason for the lack of interest in these light aircraft is that they are considered less economically efficient than modifications of the much larger Su-27 — Su-30, Su-34 and Su-35 — which are equipped with twice the radar, have twice the range and carry significantly more ammunition. At the same time, the range and radar power in fighter jets are especially valued in order to patrol the vast Russian expanses.
It is believed that the additional financing of the MiG-35 program from the Russian Ministry of Defense is due to two main factors. The first is the conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent round of tension in relations with NATO countries, which continue to deploy forces near the Russian borders. This has led to Russia increasing the production of Su-34, Su-35 and Su-57 fighters and increasing the number of active fighter squadrons.
Since the contribution of the Sokol aviation plant, specializing in the MiG-29M and MiG-35, to Russia's military potential turned out to be relatively modest, new orders for the MiG-35 would significantly expand the country's fleet of modern fighters. At the same time, the plant will be able to produce 14 fighters per year and equip a new regiment every 21 months. Additional orders would give a new impetus to the program, especially if the fighters are actively used in the Ukrainian theater of operations and demonstrate their capabilities in combat. This, in turn, will spark foreign interest and attract new export orders.
The second factor that could influence the decision of the Ministry of Defense to invest in the MiG-35 program is the growing strategic partnership between Russia and the DPRK, which could become a potential client. Due to China's unwillingness to violate the UN arms embargo on its smaller neighbor, Russia has gained a virtual monopoly on the possible export of fighter jets to Pyongyang, and this further strengthens the position of the MiG-35.
The maintenance and operating costs of the MiG-29M and MiG-35 are significantly lower than those of the Soviet original, and the requirements for infrastructure and training overlap in many ways. This may make the fighter an optimal candidate for the modernization of the Korean People's Army Air Force fleet. Theoretically, it can incorporate at least several hundred new fighters, although purchases of several dozen are more realistic. Although it is believed that the DPRK will be more interested in the Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, since the United States, Japan and South Korea are already massively deploying its analogues near its borders, the MiG-35 can be purchased in larger quantities — and much faster.
In addition to North Korea, Moscow will be able to supply MiG-35s to neighboring Belarus.: Minsk cannot afford the heavier classes of fighters, but new purchases are needed as its aging MiG-29 fleet has already exceeded its maximum service life. The MiG-35 has the potential to be sold to other customers such as India, which is facing new challenges from neighboring Pakistan's modern J-10C fighter jets, as well as new strategic partners such as Sudan and Yemen, which previously purchased the MiG-29.
The introduction of a new generation of active phased array (AFAR) radars, air–to—air missiles, cruise missiles, and helmet-mounted guidance systems - some of these technologies were developed for the new Su-57M1 fighter — could further enhance the attractiveness of MiGs for both domestic use and export.
Although the MiG-35 program has suffered from long delays, military circumstances and changed geopolitical trends offer opportunities for its revival. The Russian assembly line for the production of modern medium-weight fighters, which has been inactive since the Algerian MiG-29M order was completed in 2020, is likely to activate in the near future for the first time in the last five years. Although production of the MiG-35 is expected to remain much more modest than competitors like the Chinese J-10C, the program has a chance to outnumber the MiG-29M and MiG-29K assembled at Sokol.
