The Russian Aerospace Forces will receive several MiG-35 fighter jets this year and are planning on a new contract for more of the aircraft.
On January 18, 2019, TASS reported that four MiG-35S jets will be delivered for service later in the year. A source told the state-owned media outlet, “According to the contract signed in August 2018, two MiG-35UBs were manufactured and delivered last year. Four MiG-35s will be handed over to the Aerospace Forces in 2019.”
Furthermore, TASS reported that a contract for another group of jets should be signed next year. A source said, “In 2020, a new contract to supply another batch of 14 MiG-35 fighter jets, presumably within three years, is expected to be signed.”
TASS noted that it did not have confirmation from official sources on the news.
Russia began flight trials of the MiG-35 in 2017. Manufacturer MiG Corporation completed its testing by the end of that year, and, in late 2018, CEO Ilya Tarasenko confirmed that two jets would soon be transferred to the military.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
