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World Defense & Security News - Russia
 
 
Russia likely to receive first MiG-35 fighter jets in 2018
 
Russia’s Aerospace Force will start receiving the Mikoyan MiG-35 (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum-F) fighter jet in 2018 after the plane undergoes trials in 2017, Warplane Development Program Director at Russia’s United Aircraft-Manufacturing Corporation Vladimir Mikhailov told TASS.
     
Russia likely to receive first MiG 35 fighter jets in 2018 640 001The RUaF is expected to receive 30 Mikoyan MiG-35 under the 2020 state armament program
     
"Under a contract signed with the Russian Defense Ministry, R&D works on the MiG-35 fighter jet are continuing. They are slightly behind the schedule over delays of component deliveries by enterprises of the cooperation chain. On the whole, this problem is being resolved and we are trying to keep up with the schedule," Mikhailov said.

"The plane will undergo trials in 2017. They won’t be long as the prototype MiG-35 plane has been tested several times. In 2018, the fighter jet will start arriving for Russian Aerospace Force units," he added.

According to Mikhailov, a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry for the delivery of MiG-35 fighter jets has not been signed yet.

"The first thing is to develop a plane and the second thing is to sign a contract. I cannot tell you the exact number of planes that will be purchased. Earlier, there were plans to purchase 37 fighter jets," the warplane development program director said.

CEO of Russia’s MIG Aircraft-Manufacturing Corporation Sergei Korotkov said earlier that a pre-production batch of MiG-35 fighter jets would start undergoing flight tests in 2016.

The MIG Aircraft-Manufacturing Corporation has been waiting for a contract for the MiG-35 plane serial deliveries for several years.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said earlier that the Russian Aerospace Force was expected to receive 30 MiG-35 fighter jets under the 2020 state armament program.

Aerospace Force Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bondarev said later that planes of this type would start arriving for Aerospace Force units in 2018.
     
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