Date:08/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/08/stories/2007020803350400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Russians unveil MiG-35

Ravi Sharma

`It can play many roles, attack maritime targets'

MULTI-ROLE COMBAT AIRCRAFT: Russian models posing in front of the MiG-35 aircraft at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangalore. — PHOTO: AFP

Bangalore: The Russians are pulling out all stops as they chase the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s order to buy 126 multi-role combat aircraft. In an impressive display here on Tuesday, they unveiled for the first time in an overseas presentation the MiG-35, the aircraft that they are offering to India.

Speaking to The Hindu, Alexey I. Fedorov, president of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, said that the twin-engine MiG-35 had been upgraded and designed as a fifth generation aircraft, and has 11 hard points which can carry 5.5 tonnes of weapons, including homing devices that can be used against surface and sea targets.

"The MiG-35 can be used in a number of roles: air interception, air superiority, air interdiction, close air support, suppression of enemy air defences and to attack maritime targets," he said.

Though basically an upgraded version of the MiG-29K, the MiG-35 has a number of features such as increased internal fuel capacity, tanker functions, digital control of all systems, digital fly-by-wire control, extended aircraft and engine service life and an almost smokeless engine (RD 33 MK turbofan) that has variable thrust vector and digital control.

The MiG-35 also has a jam proof communication and data exchange system

Mr. Fedorov said: "While there is a commonality of airframe between the MiG-29 and the MiG-35, the open architecture avionics are different. The radar is a fifth generation one, which is equipped with an active phased array and an optical aiming system with air-to-air and air-to-surface mode.

While the target system is Russian, the communication and navigational aids come from Russia, India and France."

According to him, Russia would offer much more technological know-how and offset opportunities to Indian companies than any of the other competitors, including the French, Europeans or Americans, who are also chasing the deal.

"It will be above the obligatory 30 per cent. But you cannot look at what we are offering just in numbers. It will depend on the kind of technological transfer and on the investment that India will be making," he said.

Sighted easily

On the RD 33 engine (that powers the MiG-29) and its telltale black smoke, which, according to some IAF pilots, allows the aircraft to be sighted even without radar, Alexander Novikor, director-general of Chernyshev JSC, designers of the engine, said that the new variant (RD 33 MK) had a new combustion chamber. "We have changed the cooling system and the mode of consumption of fuel in the first turbine, so there is less smoke," he said. The Russian are promising an extended service life for MiG-35 and at lower maintenance cost.