Russia’s much-heralded “fourth generation-plus” fighter jet, the MiG-35, has suffered from production and operational deployment problems, including delay and disappointing small-scale deliveries, raising doubts regarding the practical effect it will have on fighting Ukraine.
The MiG-35 was meant to help revive the moribund legacy of the Mikoyan Aircraft Corporation, which had been the Soviet Union’s leading builder of fighter jets. To date, it has satisfied less than one-sixth of the original contract Defense Ministry ordered 37 so few that it’s unclear what aircraft are still awaiting delivery now, given the current minimum scale of production is unknown.
Despite the urgency of new advanced warplanes during the Ukraine War, the Mikoyan company was incapable of increasing its production. That is the problem of the enterprise to adapt to the post-Soviet economic landscape. Finally, as it’s presented as a modern fighter with some new abilities, the MiG-35 is essentially an outdated fighter differing from fifth-generation aircraft.
The MiG-35 was supposed to be Mikhail Mikoyan’s return to the headlines especially against arch-rival Sukhoi. But it is, in fact, not a fifth-generation warplane but rather a “fourth generation-plus” aircraft. That means, although it might have some cutting-edge components, it still falls into the same category as some of the older platforms, such as the F-16 or Su-27.
Not so long ago, an F-16 pilot stated that even if the MiG-35 boasts the newest components, it is still a fourth-generation aircraft and will be squared off against fifth-generation threats.
MIG 35 boasts a few of the characteristics of fifth-generation aircraft, but just those are not enough to put in competition with more modern aircraft: advanced avionics and a digital fly-by-wire system.
The production problems of Mikoyan are strategic for the position of Russia in the Ukraine War. Over six of 37 units of MiG-35 ordered have not been delivered by the company, and this is a decisive loss since the war is that intense.
The Russian industry managed to live through the Western sanctions and continue acquiring necessary components, but Mikoyan factories did not produce enough quantities of the MiG-35.
General designer of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Sergei Korotkov confirmed that the MiG-35 takes part in a military campaign in Ukraine but added that further test flights are necessary before the Ministry of Defense will be able to make any decisions on procurement.
Korotkov noted that the MiG-35’s characteristics have been deemed sufficient by foreign customers and negotiations for export supplies are being conducted.
Still unclear is any role the MiG-35 might be playing in the Ukraine conflict, but it may be assisting the Su-35 and Su-30 jets patrolling to scan for fixed ground-based air defense systems.
Given how few MiG-35s have been operationally verified to date, the deployment would probably have been a product of considerable forethought, possibly to test whether the plane fits into the general strategy of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The MiG-35 makes an excellent version of the MiG-29 in itself, especially due to its thinner radar cross-section, as well as due to the presence of a high-class radar station with the active phased array antenna, and new powerplants possessing greater thrust; it is capable of attacking air superiority missions, as well as engaging moving and stationary earth targets, thus providing Russia’s aerial forces with incredible versatility.
Despite all its modern features, MiG-35 has not been able to sell the aircraft overseas. Initial interest was noted by Egypt and India but they decided to purchase other aircraft. The inability of MiG-35 to receive international orders has only made things worse for the production and economic challenges Mikoyan faces.
Indeed, the future of the MiG-35 is much less clear as the fighting in Ukraine continues. The Russian defense industry will be placed under heavy pressure to produce ever more advanced airframes, and such a recovery in Mikoyan’s fortunes will suggest that the company can meet those pressures.