In the second half of May 2018, an event extremely significant for the further development of the tactical fleet of the Aerospace Forces of Russia took place: the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) began state acceptance tests of the MiG-35 multi-functional super-maneuverable tactical fighter of the 4 ++ generation. Factory tests, focused on testing the onboard radar, optoelectronic sensors, weapons control systems, as well as three-channel EDSU with 4-fold redundancy, were successfully completed back in December 2017.
It is almost impossible to dispute the importance of this event for several reasons at once. "Product 9-67", which is being prepared for operational combat readiness in 2019, already in the first small batches will be able to partially compensate for the numerous technological shortcomings of such aging machines as the MiG-29S / SD / M2 / SMT, in the most significant air routes of the Western military districts. In particular, these machines, despite the presence of the MIL-STD-1553B multiplex data exchange bus as part of the electronic "stuffing" for the integration of new elements of the "information field" of the cockpit, radiation warning devices, as well as future adaptation to new types of missile bomb armament, equipped with "ancient" pulse-Doppler onboard radars N010MP "Zhuk-ME" and N019MP "Topaz".
These products are represented by slotted antenna arrays, characterized by extremely low noise immunity, low throughput for tracking targets "on the pass" (10 simultaneously tracked target tracks), low target channelization (4 and 2 simultaneously fired targets for "Zhuk-ME" and "Topaz" respectively), poor maintainability and low reliability due to the presence of single transmitting and receiving paths, as well as weak energy parameters, providing the detection range of a target of the "F / A-18E" type of about 100 km (with RCS within 2 sq. m). In a more understandable language, due to the presence of a single high-frequency transmitter, a radar with a slot antenna array has a short MTBF, and a lower operating range is observed due to the impossibility of installing such a massive transmitter, the power of which would be equivalent to the total power of all PPM active PAR.
As a rule, stations with slotted antenna arrays are distinguished by large restrictions on the minimum effective reflecting surface of the detected object (within 0.05-0.1 sq. M), which is why promising stealthy enemy cruise missiles may not be corny to be detected even at minimal distances … The only advantage that keeps such radars in service in the second decade of the XXI century is the software ability to implement the synthetic aperture mode (SAR), however, the resolution of the resulting radar image is 15 m, and therefore the ability to identify small ground targets such as "launcher OTBR "or surface type" patrol boat "is practically absent, only classification can be made according to the visible EPR marker of the object on the multifunctional indicator.
It is worth noting here that the tactical fighters of the F-15E "Strike Eagle" families, as well as the F-16C Block 52/52 +, which are in service with the US Air Force, have been slowly but surely going through the program of updating the control complex for several years. armament with new radar systems with active HEADLIGHTS AN / APG-82 (V) 1 and AN / APG-83 SABR. The radar data not only completely outstripped the old slotted radars "Strike Eagles" AN / APG-70 and "Falconov" AN / APG-89 (V) 9 in terms of multimode, multichannel, range, but also partially "surpassed" the level of noise immunity of the Russian airborne radar stations with passive HEADLIGHTS N011M "Bars" and even the most "far-sighted" serial radars N035 "Irbis-E" in the world, since in AFARs, thanks to the software control of the power and frequency characteristics of each receiving-transmitting module, there is the possibility of a sectoral "reset" of the diagram direction in the direction of the enemy's electronic jammer. These are the qualities that the Su-30SM and Su-35S lack, should appear in the promising "medium" fighter of the transitional generation MiG-35, the basis of the onboard radio-electronic equipment of which, for the first time in the history of Russian military aircraft construction, will be a radar station with an active phased array "Zhuk-A" (in the FGA-35 modification), represented by 960 transmit-receive modules with a power of 8 watts.
This radar confidently detects air targets with an RCS of 1 sq. m at a distance of about 140 km, at the same time "ties the tracks" of 30 of them and captures 6 objects for precise auto-tracking for interception by means of long-range air combat missiles with an active-semi-active / passive RVV-SD homing system. The F-15E "Strike Eagle" tactical fighter with a mixed suspension configuration (RCS about 7 sq. M) can be detected at a distance of about 250 km. The main advantage of Zhuk-A in the work on surface and ground targets is the resolution in the synthetic aperture mode of 0.5 m, as evidenced by the information table provided by the developer (JSC Fazotron-NIIR Corporation) in addition to the full-size demonstrator … It is this radar, if possible, for identifying surface targets, will be able to compare with the N036 "Belka" airborne radar installed on the 5th generation Su-57 fighters.
An important part of the supply of multipurpose MiG-35 fighters to the Russian Aerospace Forces is their relatively low price, about 45-50 million dollars (1, 3-1, 5 times less than that of the Su-35S). As a result, the Russian Ministry of Defense expects to purchase about 170 of these machines, which have significantly better parameters of anti-radar missile immunity in air battles at medium and long ranges in comparison with Sushki. The next point is more logical to consider the capabilities of the MiG-35 multifunctional fighter in "passive work" against surface, ground and air targets of the enemy, which provides for the full use of integrated optoelectronic systems without active operation of the Zhuk-A radar. This method of using the fighter's weapons control complex minimizes the likelihood of revealing its own location by such means of enemy electronic reconnaissance as the AN / ALR-94 multi-element radiation warning station with a distributed aperture of the F-22A stealth fighter, consisting of 30 highly sensitive antenna modules capable of bearing the radiation source at a distance of 460 km or more, the RTR 55000 AEELS (Automatic Electronic Emitter Location Systems) complex of the RC-135W / V Rivet Joint strategic reconnaissance aircraft, or the AN / SLQ-32 (V) 2 shipborne electronic reconnaissance station information and control systems "Aegis" of the Arley Burke-class destroyers.
If you look, for example, at the early MiG demonstrator aircraft ("No. 154"), developed on the basis of the experimental two-seat MiG-29M2 and MiG-29KUB back in 2006 to attract the attention of high-ranking military officials of the Indian Defense Ministry (as part of the MMRCA tender), then you can pay attention to the richest nomenclature of integrated optoelectronic devices. In particular, on board the vehicle were seen: a bow optical-electronic complex OLS-UEM (operates in infrared / television channels of sight and is capable of detecting targets at a distance of 45-50 km to the rear hemisphere and 20 km to the front hemisphere), a similar dual-band optical-electronic OLS-K complex (detects individual units of large armored vehicles at a distance of 20 km, small landing boats - 40 km and ships of the "frigate" class - 90-120 km, depending on the meteorological situation), located in the conformal container of the right nacelle, as well as the station detection of attacking missiles (SOAR).
The latter is represented by an infrared sensor for viewing the lower hemisphere (NS-OAR) and the upper hemisphere (VS-OAR), capable of detecting and tracking almost any missile (from anti-radar and anti-aircraft missiles at a distance of up to 50 km to an air combat missile of the AMRAAM family) by a hot torch of a rocket engine. about 30 km). Moreover, the system is capable of detecting launches of operational-tactical ballistic missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles at a distance of several hundred kilometers, as well as the DAS complex of the American 5th generation F-35A fighter. As you know, through the introduction of appropriate software and hardware options, it is possible to achieve full synchronization of the SOAP with the fighter's HFW, which ultimately will allow the system operator (the second pilot of the MiG-35) to target air-to-air missiles not only at fighters by targeting the sensors of this system enemy, but also on attacking air combat missiles and enemy missiles. The air combat missiles R-77, RVV-SD, R-73 RDM-2, and also RVV-MD are adapted for these tasks.
In practice, it looks like this. Fighters of generations "4" and "4+" MiG-29S, MiG-29SMT and Su-27, equipped with outdated radar systems with a slot antenna array Н019МП "Topaz", "Zhuk-ME", as well as an antenna Cassegrain Н001, practically do not have the ability to intercept air combat missiles launched by the enemy due to the lack of the ability to detect such small targets in advance and capture them for auto-tracking (the effective reflective surface of AIM-9X Block II and AIM-120D barely reaches 0.03-0.07 sq. m). Successful implementation of such an interception can occur only if the pilot visually detects the moment the Sidewinder descends from the underwing pylon of an enemy fighter located at a distance of 8-10 km, and instantly applies the "reserve mode" of capturing the torch of an approaching missile by means of the seeker of his own R- 73. As you know, such a "fast" mode requires only the alignment of the crosshair, which is the scanning cone of the IKGSN missile, with a visible heat-contrast object.
But such a "trump" opportunity is unlikely to become a frequent event in air battles of the XXI century, where the AIM-120C / D is launched from a distance of 50-100 km. Moreover, it is not so easy to visually detect the start of a solid propellant rocket with modern low-smoke fuel. Consequently, only an infrared station for detecting attacking missiles, synchronized with the fighter's KUV, is capable of translating into reality such plans to destroy the enemy's missile attack missile systems. In the States, a similar concept of using air combat missiles is slowly moving towards implementation as part of the ambitious SACM-T ("Small, Advanced Capability Missile Technologies") project, which has been developed for several years by a military-industrial company specializing in the design of missile weapons and electronic Raytheon facilities and the US Air Force Research Laboratory.
At the heart of this project, launched by Lockheed Martin, is the creation of a radically improved small-sized ("cut") modification of the AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missile. The product, also called CUDA, is planned to be equipped with a high-precision active millimeter-wave radar homing head, as well as 13 "gas-dynamic belts" from more than a hundred miniature transverse control engines that ensure the kinetic destruction of an intercepted missile by the enemy using a direct hit method. The beginning of the SACM-T / CUDA entry into the ammunition of the US Air Force and Navy fighters is expected by the beginning of the 30s, and therefore the Vympel GosMKB specialists have plenty of time to endow the RVV-SD air combat missiles with the qualities of antimissiles for self-defense. Another question is that neither military-diplomatic sources nor the developer himself are talking about such priorities for the modernization of defensive assets for the Aerospace Forces aircraft fleet; and there is also such a thing as funding, which is better to keep quiet about.
A picture emerges that is similar to the slip of the program of the "ramjet" ultra-long-range air combat RVV-AE-PD. But it is on the promotion of such projects that the safety of the flight personnel of our Aerospace Forces will depend in the event of a collision with the aviation of the Western Air Force. Thus, it can be stated that in matters of self-defense of fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces, all hope remains only for linking missiles of the R-77 family with an attacking missile detection station (SOAP), but there is absolutely no need to consider such linkage as an ideal asymmetric response to the American project SACM-T, because the flight performance of the CUDA interceptor missile will be almost 2 times higher than the RVV-AE due to gas-dynamic control, because the former was originally developed to combat small enemy B-B class missiles.
We will move on to assessing the design changes in the placement of the optoelectronic module for operation in the air-to-surface mode on the new prototypes of the MiG-35 for the Russian Aerospace Forces, as well as the negative and positive consequences associated with this change. If you take a close look at the early demonstrator MiG-35 with tail number "154", assembled for demonstrations in the framework of the MMRCA, and then at the last demonstrator "No. 702 blue", which passed factory flight tests in 2017, you can notice that the first one is installed optoelectronic complex OLS-K in a small-sized streamlined conformal module-container, on the lower surface of which there is an optically transparent turret for viewing the lower hemisphere.
The mass of this module, as well as the coefficient of aerodynamic resistance, are minimal, which only slightly affects the combat radius of action. On the demonstrator with tail number "702" for Russian aerospace forces, we can draw attention to the more massive and large-sized suspended container optical-electronic complex T220 / E. Apparently, it is this complex that will be used on the Russian MiG-35. Undoubtedly, its main disadvantage can be considered a significant aerodynamic resistance due to the container diameter of 370 mm and a very large attachment point to the right engine nacelle, which will reduce the range by several tens of kilometers. You should also expect an additional decrease in the maximum speed (in the presence of rockets on the suspension) from 2100 to 1850-1900 km / h.
The T220 / E complex also has serious advantages over OLS-K. This is a significantly better view of the upper sector of the elevation plane, achieved thanks to the container's rotary turret oriented to the front hemisphere, in contrast to the stationary OLS-K turret “looking down”. Due to this, the T220 / E can not only survey the lower hemisphere, but also "look" at an angle of 7-10 degrees above the horizon line (into the upper hemisphere). Consequently, the complex can be used to classify and identify remote air targets in the television range, in addition to OLS-UEM.
In addition, judging by the significantly larger size of the "turret head" T220 in comparison with the OLS-K, the former has a much longer focal and high-aperture optical system, which makes it possible to realize an optical magnification of the observed object of 30X or more, not counting the digital one.
Not devoid of T220 / E and disadvantages. One of them is the constructive impossibility of turning the lens at angles of more than 20 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the hanging container. Bottom line: the possibility of reviewing the lower sector of the rear hemisphere is excluded (the operator of the MiG-35 systems will not be able to track the tactical ground situation "in the tail" of the vehicle without turning the fighter). The OLS-K complex can boast of this feature. What tactical advantages does this feature of OLS-K provide? There is no need to turn the fighter in the direction saturated with modern short-range anti-aircraft missile systems of the enemy, which cover the reconnaissance object.
In addition to standard optical-electronic reconnaissance of ground targets in the rear hemisphere, OLS-K also provides illumination for tactical missiles with semi-active laser homing heads launched from other carriers (from Su-25 attack aircraft to Hermes anti-tank complexes in various versions). Such opportunities for working with targets in the rear hemisphere are not provided by any domestic or foreign container sighting and navigation system, including such well-known products as Sapsan-E, as well as the US Sniper-ATP (Advanced Targeting Pod). The only products that are close to OLS-K in the field of view of the ZPS are the French suspension complex TALIOS Multi-Function Targeting Pod and the Turkish ASELPOD-ATP, whose “turret heads” rotate on bearings in a vertical plane. Be that as it may, you will have to be content with the technological advantages of the T220 / E complex, given that none of the "4+" generation multipurpose fighters of the MiG-29SMT, Su-27SM and Su-30 families have ever been equipped with outboard equipment. intelligence and target designation.
Against the background of all the above-described advantages of the armament control complex of the multifunctional MiG-35 fighter, the statements of various Russian specialists in the article "Experts rejected the shipborne MiG-35" on the resource "Ytro.ru" look absolutely unreasonable. Thus, in the publication one can find the opinion of Andrey Frolov, editor-in-chief of the Arms Export magazine, according to which the MiG-35 is outdated as a platform for the development of a promising carrier-based aviation complex. In fact, this conclusion is substantiated by the "gluttony" of the RD-33MK / MKV bypass turbojet engines, the small combat radius of action, as well as the inconsistency of the radar signature of the airframe with the performance of the 5th generation vehicles. But is it all so sad for the advanced modification of the MiG-29 family fighter, the glider of which for decades to come will be considered an "aerodynamic standard" along with the gliders of the T-10 family?
The new "Products 9-61 / 67", due to the introduction of a larger number of elements, represented by composite materials, maintain an empty ("dry") mass in the range of 11000-11500 kg, while the normal take-off weight with 4800 kg of fuel, as well as 6 missiles RVV-SD and 2 RVV-MD on hangers will be about 17, 8-18 tons. At the moment when part of the fuel is consumed (at the time of air combat), the mass of the vehicle will be within 16 tons, which, with a total thrust of the RD-33MKV TRDDF of 18,000 kgf, provides a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1, 12 kgf / kg. Quite good for close air combat with the Super Hornet, even with the use of an ordinary steady turn with an angular velocity of 23 deg / s. And there is also an all-aspect thrust vector deflection system!
If we talk about the effective reflective surface (EPR) of the MiG-35, then when using radio-absorbing coatings we have a decrease to 1, 2-1, 5 sq. m, which is an excellent indicator for a transitional fighter. The MiG-35 was not even conceived by the specialists of the RAC "MiG" as a concept of the 5th generation, nevertheless, in terms of the level of onboard electronic equipment, it is quite consistent with this level. A striking example of this is Boeing's work on such machines of the 4 ++ generation as the F-15SE Silent Eagle (the airframe project is over 45 years old, but no one in the US calls this fighter "ancient scrap metal") or the F-16 Block 70. As for the range of 1000 km, it is quite worthy for a multipurpose (especially deck-based) medium fighter; just look at F / A-18E / F or F-35A. Another thing is that under a huge question and in a fog of uncertainty is the construction of the lead aircraft carrier of the "Storm" class, not to mention the series … But this is a question of a completely different review.
