Russia Resurrects MiG-35: Forgotten Fighter Returns to the Frontlines Amid NATO Tensions and War Losses

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The MiG-35 “Fulcrum Foxtrot,” a heavily upgraded multirole fighter derived from the iconic MiG-29 platform, has reportedly completed its final qualification trials with Russian defence authorities, marking a potential turning point in the aircraft’s long-stalled journey toward frontline service.

Intended as a bridge between legacy fourth-generation fighters and Russia’s more advanced fifth-generation systems, the MiG-35 has been undergoing real-world combat evaluation—including its deployment in the ongoing war in Ukraine—suggesting its readiness to transition from prototype to serial production.

Sources within the Russian aerospace sector confirm that the aircraft’s development program remains active, with state-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) continuing test flights and field deployments as part of a broader campaign to validate the MiG-35’s operational effectiveness under battlefield conditions.

According to earlier reports, UAC has formally expressed readiness to commence production and fulfil potential orders from the Russian government, reinforcing expectations that the MiG-35 will soon be absorbed into the Russian Aerospace Forces.

In a statement issued last year, UAC Chief Executive Officer Yuri Slyusar asserted that full-scale production of the MiG-35—classified as a 4+++ generation fighter—would begin soon, citing the growing operational demands of the Russian Air Force amid mounting regional and global tensions.

This announcement reflects growing anxiety within Moscow’s defence establishment that, in the event of a high-intensity war with NATO forces spearheaded by the United States, Russia may find itself without sufficient fighter aircraft to sustain air dominance across multiple theatres of war.

The aerial toll exacted by the war in Ukraine—where open-source intelligence and Western estimates suggest Russia has lost a significant number of combat aircraft—has further amplified pressure to rebuild and modernise the country’s combat aviation assets at pace.

Russian defence planners view the MiG-35 not merely as a stopgap platform, but as a cost-effective force multiplier that can reinforce frontline squadrons while Russia’s fifth-generation Su-57 “Felon” remains limited in numbers and the Su-75 “Checkmate” remains years from maturity.

Amid growing fears of escalation along NATO’s eastern flank, Russia appears to be accelerating its efforts to rapidly reconstitute its airpower capabilities, with the MiG-35 emerging as a prime candidate to fill the gap left by battlefield attrition and delayed stealth fighter production.

Recent reports suggest the MiG-35 has already been pressed into combat operations over Ukraine—a move seen by analysts as both a symbolic resurgence of the once-shelved fighter and a live demonstration of its modernised avionics, weapons systems, and survivability suite.

Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti cited United Aircraft Corporation’s Chief Designer, Sergey Korotkov, as confirming the MiG-35’s participation in combat operations, lending credibility to speculation that the aircraft is on the cusp of formal operational induction.

“Further extended flight tests will be conducted before the Russian Ministry of Defence makes its final decision on the matter,” he said, referring to the comprehensive evaluation process required prior to approving serial production.

Korotkov added that the MiG-35 is compliant with the specifications demanded by international clients, indicating UAC’s continued push to market the aircraft to foreign operators looking for cost-effective multirole solutions.

This statement reinforces speculation that the MiG-35’s presence in Ukraine has less to do with strategic necessity and more to do with showcasing the platform’s combat-readiness to potential foreign buyers through live combat validation.

To date, the Russian Aerospace Forces operate six MiG-35 units, primarily designated for developmental testing, systems evaluation, and pilot training under controlled conditions.

United Aircraft Corporation has continued its export drive by targeting existing MiG-29 users such as the Indian Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force—two countries with legacy Fulcrum fleets—but these outreach efforts have thus far failed to yield export orders.

In a previous diplomatic overture, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally offered the MiG-35 to then-Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during a high-level bilateral engagement, highlighting Moscow’s geopolitical interest in Southeast Asian defence markets.

Despite extensive promotion, the aircraft struggled to attract export buyers, with analysts attributing the lukewarm reception to competition from Western fourth-plus generation fighters such as the F-16V, JAS-39 Gripen E, and Dassault Rafale.

Nevertheless, Russian defence analysts continue to advocate for the MiG-35’s technical flexibility, noting that its open architecture design enables easy integration of new-generation avionics, guided munitions, and data link systems from multiple suppliers.

Unlike legacy MiG-29 variants, the MiG-35 features a state-of-the-art “ZHUK-AM” Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which brings it closer in capability to advanced Western platforms like the Eurofighter Typhoon and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

“The sooner an enemy aircraft is detected—especially with advanced radar systems—the sooner it can be destroyed.”

According to Russian defence analysts, the ZHUK-AM radar enables target detection at distances of up to 220 kilometres, with the ability to identify stealth aircraft like the F-22 Raptor at ranges estimated around 80 kilometres under certain radar cross-section profiles.

The MiG-35 is powered by two Klimov RD-33K afterburning turbofan engines, offering a maximum speed of Mach 2.25 and a service ceiling of 67,000 feet—placing it on par with most fourth-generation Western fighters in terms of raw performance.

Armed with a 30mm GSh-30-1 autocannon, and capable of carrying up to 6.5 tonnes of weapons across nine hardpoints, the MiG-35 is designed to deliver a broad spectrum of precision munitions in multi-domain operations.

Its compatibility with a wide array of air-to-air, air-to-ground, anti-ship, and anti-radiation missiles enables it to conduct air superiority, ground interdiction, maritime strike, and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) missions with tactical flexibility.

Among its air-to-air armaments are the short-range R-73 (AA-11 Archer) with high off-boresight agility, and the R-77 (AA-12 Adder), Russia’s primary beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile equipped with active radar homing.

The MiG-35 also carries the longer-range R-27 series, which comes in radar and infrared-guided variants and offers BVR engagement capability against high-value aerial targets.

For ground attack roles, it supports Kh-29T/L (TV and laser-guided missiles) and Kh-25ML/MPU for tactical and anti-radiation strike roles, enabling battlefield flexibility against both fixed and mobile targets.

Its maritime strike role is enabled by the Kh-31A, a supersonic anti-ship missile designed to penetrate layered naval air defences, while SEAD operations are supported by the Kh-31P, a Mach 3.5 anti-radar missile optimized to neutralise advanced systems such as the MIM-104 Patriot and S-300.

Precision-guided bombs such as the KAB-500 and KAB-1500—guided via laser or GLONASS satellite—expand its land strike portfolio, while legacy unguided rockets like the S-8, S-13, and S-25 remain available for close air support missions.

Defensive survivability is enhanced by its integrated Electronic Warfare pod, advanced radar warning receivers, and infrared search and track (IRST) systems that enable passive detection and target tracking.

Overall, the MiG-35 is emerging as Russia’s pragmatic response to short-term airpower gaps, offering a versatile, survivable, and export-ready platform designed to maintain combat relevance in a high-threat, multi-theatre conflict environment.

Whether Moscow’s gamble on revitalising the MiG-35 translates into sustained domestic service and international adoption remains to be seen, but in a world bracing for high-intensity peer conflict, the Fulcrum Foxtrot may yet reclaim its place in Russia’s future air war calculus.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA