The MiG-35 to show its wares at Yelahanka
24 Jan 2007
"We will hold a full-scale presentation of the [MiG-35] aircraft during an air show in Bangalore," Novosti quoted Vladimir Barkovsky, MiG's deputy director-general as saying.
The biennial Aero India 2007 aerospace exhibition, one of Asia's premier shows, will be held at the southern Indian city of Bangalore from 7 to 11 February 2007.
RAC's announcement comes on the back of Russian defence minister and deputy prime minister, Sergei Ivanov's, assertion that Russia and the MiG corporation will actively participate in the Indiasn Air Force's 126 MRCA tender. Ivanov is currently in the country to pave the way for President Vladimir Putin's state visit to India, as the chief guest for the country's 26 January, Republic Day celebrations.
RAC MiG's announcement is in anticipation of India's formal announcement of the tender. The MiG-35, an export version of the MiG-29M OVT (Nato reporting name - Fulcrum F), is a highly manoeuvrable air superiority fighter, first displayed in August 2005 during the MAKS Air Show at Zhukovsky, outside Moscow.
The fighter's main feature is its RD-33 OVT thrust vectoring control engines, which, reportedly, is capable of providing even better manoeuvrability than the famed Sukhoi thrust vectoring engines. The MiG-35 will now parade its wares against the likes of the US F-16, Swedish Gripen JAS-39 and French Rafale fighters.
The Novosti report also quotes Barkovsky, MiG's deputy director-general, as saying that the MiG corporation had begun flight tests of the MiG-29K Fulcrum D naval fighter, specifically designed for the Indian Navy. Russia has contracted to supply the Indian Navy with 16 carrier-based MiG-29K/KUB aircraft (12 single-seat K models and 4 dual-seat KUB models) in a deal signed in January 2004.
Deliveries of the first 'K' versions are expected in June 2007. Deliveries of the full complement of 16 aircraft are expected to be completed by 2009. The contract includes an option for the acquisition of 30 additional aircraft by 2015.
