GarryB Tue Mar 26, 2024 10:27 am
I think the MiG-35 would have been a very effective fighter competing against the Su-30SM/2 and Su-35 but overall I think it lost out due to the fact Su-30SM was already a flying jet more or less and same with Su-35 being further along at the time.
MiG-35s wouldn't replace Su-30s or Su-35s, their roles are different.
Su-30 is a two seat Su-35 and both are air superiority fighters... like an F-15 or F-22.
The MiG-35 is the numbers aircraft and is more like an F-16 which will be carrying air to ground weapons as much as it will be shooting down enemy aircraft.
The flankers are essentially PVO air control types and longer range interceptors that would use AB because they have the fuel capacity to use it enough to get places quickly.
The MiG-35 is more of a MiG-21/MiG-27/Su-17 type that would operate over or near the front line and hit ground targets with standoff missiles and glide bombs and would probably shoot down drones too.
Loitering near the front line or perhaps 10-20km back it could still use high resolution radar to monitor the front line and detect enemy positions and forces as well as enemy drones... being airborne of course it has a much easier task of detecting low flying ground hugging drones... even if all you are doing is warning ground forces of their approach. (a fighter wont carry enough AAMs to deal with all the targets it will detect.)
The MiG-35 is going to be the beneficiary of the new technology MiG is developing for its light 5th gen fighters and its lower operating costs will allow the Russian military to restore Frontal Aviation to a degree that works with the Russian Army to deal with enemy ground forces and enemy aircraft near the line of contact.
Its lower operating costs and smaller size will enable it to operate near the front lines from motorways in rather greater numbers than can be achieved with the Flanker families.