[19Fortyfive] Did Russia swing and miss with its MiG-35 fighter? It seems like the program never delivered its potential. The MiG-35 Fulcrum is a fourth-generation "plus plus" fighter. So, it is one of the most modern airplanes in the Russian fleet. But only six prototypes and eight serially produced jets have been built. Too bad for Moscow because the MiG-35 can track 30 targets and attack six at once with its new radar system. It was supposed to be a hit on the export market, but foreign markets never materialized.
SLOW PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT AND FEW ORDERS
The MiG-35 was built upon the MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2. The MiG-35 first flew in 2016 after numerous delays. The Mikoyan Design Bureau planned for the Russian Ministry of Defense to order large batches of the airplane. The first prototype was displayed at an air show in 2005. In 2013, the defense ministry announced it would only buy 37 MiG-35s. So, it’s been a struggle for the MiG-35.
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