Military Procurement International Vol. 18, No. 9, May 1, 2008
Copyright DAPSS S.A., 200
8, Switzerland. It is unlawful to reproduce any of this publication without written permission from the publisher.
RUSSIA
MiG-35
pitched to Russian Air Force
RSK
MiG is in discussions with the Russian
Air Force about a possible purchase of the latest MiG-35 version of the
Fulcrum after 2010, equipped with a Phazotron
Zhuk-AE Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
The
MiG-35 would provide the low end of a high-low force mix. The high end would
initially be supplied by the Sukhoi
Su-35, subsequently replaced by the PAK-FA fifth generation fighter.
The
MiG-35 is also Russia’s contender in the Indian
Air Force competition for 126 Medium, Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCAs),
valued at some US$11-12 billion. It is competing in India against the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault
Aviation Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon,
Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 60 and Saab
JAS-39 Gripen C/D.
According
to Vladimir Barkovsky, First Deputy to the General Designer at MiG, “We
won’t shut down the MiG-35 program if we lose in India,” although he added
that the Indian competition “is very important for MiG.”
© DAPSS
S.A., 2008, Switzerland