The first thing to talk about when discussing the prospects for the MiG-35 is continuity. In fact, this is still the same MiG-29: for example, the Soviet RD-33 engine was chosen as the basis of the power plant, to be more precise - its modernized version in the face of the RD-33MK. The main difference between the new MiG and the basic version and all kinds of modifications of the 90s was the onboard electronics, revolutionary by the standards of Russia. The MiG-35 is the first Russian multifunctional fighter that was equipped (or, let's say, they really wanted to equip) an airborne radar station with an active phased antenna array (AFAR). We are talking about "Zhuk-A". Now we will not talk in detail about the advantages of AFAR, but this technology gives almost complete superiority in terms of the sum of qualities over the radar of outdated types, for example, a radar with a passive phased antenna array, which, in particular, is equipped with the Su-35S. This applies, first of all, to reliability, which is incomparably higher for an airborne radar with AFAR: it is very, very difficult to disable all transmitting and receiving elements.
That is why radars with AFAR are installed on the Su-57 and that is why the most developed countries have long been equipping their fighters with radars of this type, despite their high cost. In this regard, there are no complaints about the MiG-35.
However, not everything is so smooth. If we summarize the available data, then we can conclude that the radar with AFAR was offered only to the Indians within the MMRCA tender: India eventually refused the Russian car. But the "native" Air Force can get a version of the aircraft, equipped with an archaic "Zhuk-M" radar station, which has a slotted antenna array, which can hardly meet modern requirements.
The fans of the MiG-35 cannot be pleased with the number of vehicles purchased. In August 2018, it became known that the Air Force should receive six two-seat MiG-35UB and one-seat MiG-35S under the concluded contract. On May 8, 2019, an informed source told Interfax that the Russian Defense Ministry would receive at least six MiG-35 fighters annually. However, unless there are specific agreements, this information has no validity. Talk about "mass deliveries of the MiG-35" has been going on for about as long as the project itself.
Finally, it is worth moving on to the most important thing - the reasons why the Russian military does not purchase an aircraft. And it's not just about radar stations. Everything is somewhat more complicated.
Flights in a dream, not in reality
“I would say that this is a new aircraft that surpasses our foreign competitors,” Ilya Tarasenko, General Director of Mikoyan, said in an interview recently. The general director prudently did not name specific machines, which, according to him, are superior to the brainchild of the MiG. If for Russia the plane, as we have already said, is indeed innovative, then it is difficult to surprise Europe, the USA or China with them, to put it mildly. European fighters of the 4 ++ generation (the same to which the MiG belongs) - Typhoon and Rafal - have long had radars with an active phased antenna array. And the Americans can boast not only of the most advanced radars, but also stealth, which neither the MiG-29 nor the 35 has.
And how does the car look against the background of Sukhoi's new brainchild? So far Russia does not have a single serial Su-57, but purely formally, its superiority over the MiG is complete. This applies to literally everything: speed, flight range, stealth performance, combat load. Onboard electronics: the Su-57 radar with AFAR has 1526 transceiver modules, while the Zhuk-A received 680 PPM (however, we are talking about an early modification).
The attempts of some experts to pass off the MiG-35 as a "cheap light fighter" look rather strange. The MiG-35 can be called anything you like, but not "light" and, even more so, not "cheap". The mass of the empty MiG-35 is much greater than the mass of the empty F-15C, which many in Russia refer to as "heavy" fighters. The price of the MiG-35 is not known for sure, but taking into account the relatively modern on-board electronics, it is unlikely to be much lower than that of the Su-35S.
In general, it is high time to abandon the division of fighters into "light" and "heavy". Any modern fighter aircraft is, by default, an ultra-expensive machine with a very solid mass. Just look at the French Rafale or the American F-35. Here one can object and recall the Chinese Chengdu J-10, but it is most correct to consider it as a transitional aircraft in conditions when the country (China) did not have the opportunity to create an analogue of the Su-27 or F-15. Now such opportunities already exist.
Attack without clones
In one of his past materials, the author tried to give a modest assessment of the current state of the fleet of fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces, or, to be more precise, tried to disassemble such an important issue for the modern Air Force as unification. An illustrative example is appropriate here. As you know, all three versions of the F-35 - F-35A, F-35B and F-35C - have a degree of unification of approximately 80%. Most importantly, the machines are equipped with almost the same engines and identical radars.
What do we see in the example of the Aerospace Forces of Russia? The military took a rather strange path, purchasing large quantities of Su fighters, which have the same purpose, but completely different sets of onboard electronics. And in general, they differ just as much as airplanes made on the same basis (in our case, the Su-27) can differ. In general, it is quite difficult to understand why the Su-30SM was purchased in parallel with the Su-35S, which, among other things, is seen as a much more modern machine. After all, the Su-30SM is, in a broad sense, simply a "Russified" version of the far from new Su-30MKI. And we are silent about the Su-27SM3, Su-30M2 and MiG-29SMT.
However, in spite of everything, it is clear that the Air Force will not abandon the previously concluded contracts. But it is possible to abandon the MiG-35, and this would be the most reasonable decision. It should be repeated: this machine has no objective advantages over its counterparts, except, perhaps, a more advanced radar. However, the Su-35S and Su-30SM have a very large modernization potential in terms of avionics, so it is unlikely that Sukhoi will not be able to catch up. Moreover, the first serial Su-57 should be born soon, which (in theory) can be so "to the liking" of the military that they will generally refuse further purchases of fourth-generation fighters. I must say that, ideally, it should have happened. But this is the ideal. In practice, any new aircraft needs many years of refinement, which is clearly illustrated by the example of the F-35.
"Purchases of the Su-35 will continue after the completion of the current contract, an increase in the order for the Su-57 will not affect this in any way," a source in the Russian Defense Ministry recently told RIA Novosti. The coexistence of generation 4 ++ and 5th generation fighters cannot be called Russian know-how. Here it will be appropriate to recall the idea of the Americans to purchase the F-15X in parallel with the F-35. But, again, this does not in any way testify in favor of the new brainchild of the MiG.
