Russian Aerospace Forces will receive four MiG-35 4++ generation multirole fighter jets later this year, a source in the aviation industry told TASS on January 17.

MiG 35 (Picture source: Flickr)

"According to the contract signed in August 2018, two MiG-35Us were manufactured and delivered last year. Four MiG-35Ss will be handed over to the Air Forces in 2019," the source said.

MiG Corporation CEO Ilya Tarasernko said in late November 2018 that the first batch of MiG-35 fighter jets had entered the final stages of construction and will be handed over to the Air Forces shortly. He also said that the company’s production capacities allow to produce 36 MiG-35 annually due to a new digital production system.

"In 2020, a new contract to supply another batch of 14 MiG-35 fighter jets, presumably within three years, is expected to be signed," the source said. MiG-35

MiG-35 and its two-seater option MiG-35D are designed to destroy air, moving and stationary ground and surface targets in any climate and weather. The two-seater can be used as a training aircraft. The construction is borrowed from multirole shipborne MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2. It is distinguished by a bigger payload, increased fuel reserve, air refueling possibility and a possibility to use the aircraft as a tanker. The glider is corrosion resistant. MiG-35 has a decreased radar signature. Normal takeoff weight is 19 200 kg, MiG-35D - 19 000 kg, maximum takeoff weight is 24 500 kg for both options.

Maximum altitude speed is 2 100 km/h and 1 400 km/h at the ground. Practical ceiling is 16 000 meters. One-seater MiG-35 with air-to-air missiles and three suspended fuel tanks has a radius of 1 000-1 400 km depending on the arms and flight altitude. Two-seater MiG-35D with air-to-air missiles and three suspended fuel tanks has a range of 900-1 300 km, with air-to-surface missiles and three fuel tanks - 750-1050 km.