To start make out techno side of things. Glider MiG-35 is not a lot different from the ordinary MiG-29. The main differences lie inside — in the engines with avionics and other "stuffing." Because, actually speaking, the MiG-35 fighter jet and is a 4 + + generation, which involves the glider fourth-generation equipment, more advanced than just a "4". Power plant MiG-35 consists of a 2-turbojet engines RD-33MK engines with afterburning thrust of 9,000 kgf. Base-board equipment is "Zhuk-A" Curb active phased array antenna. Also, the MiG-35 has a range of state of the art electronics, which, according to developers, will be burning for the next 15-20 years, at least. In addition, a number of updates received the fuel system: increased capacity of tanks and aircraft can be refueled in flight and do function tanker.
Now turn to the quality and quantity. MiG-29 was adopted in 1983 and since that time most of the cars were only repair, but not upgrades. At the end of the same decade, the need to see the work was carried out to establish its upgraded version, which was due to go to the army in the 90's. But the actions that began in the life of the country, badly affected and the fate of the MiG-29M. In the end, the most recent modification of the fighter in the Russian Air Force MiG-29 SMT is, and these aircraft are not so many, that they radically changed the situation. A lightweight fighter, meanwhile, needed. At the same need as quickly as possible: we of old times, "twenty-ninth" life is about to expire, and the new highly enough. Means it takes some replacement for the aging machines.
What did we end up? There is a need for new airplanes, and there are several versions of "candidates" for this place. The main contenders for him listed as the MiG-29 SMT and MiG-35. Each of them has its advantages, because choice is not easy. MiG-35 has the best equipment, MiG-29 SMT has mastered in manufacturing, and of itself for itself cheaper. What's all the same to the development of the aircraft and personnel of the technical side of the operation, the two fighters are approximately: "SMT" largely unified with the initial MiG-29, and "35" asks far fewer jobs. As we see, the military there is from which to choose. With all of this argues that at constant upgrades and timely repairs of the MiG-35 will be able to remain in service until the 2035-40 year, which in itself is a lot. During this period of time to replace that representative of the 4 + + will be able to come fighter truly the fifth. So far, however, some disk imaging on the development of such machines do not. But the Air Force is a machine necessary, because it is unlikely in the future will do some languid T-50.
And yet, is "the thirty-fifth 'attention? Nepoprostu as the Indians gave up on that plane. What specifically did not like the Indian tender committee in the engine RD-33MK is unclear. But with the radar some judgments are available. Most likely, the Indians did not suit the properties of the radar "Zhuk-MAE" installed on the aircraft, the demonstrator. Of course, at the radar station, made almost 10 years ago, the characteristics are unlikely to be better than the radar "Zhuk-A", which will be installed on production aircraft. It rivals the MiG-35 — "Rafale" and "Eurofighter" — I must say, things are not much better. The fact that the radar and, although equipped active phased array have significant in terms of lead.
In general, the MiG-35 to our Air Force needs. At least since the new MiG-35 — it's even better than the MiG-29 with a suitable resource to the end, even if it is more expensive. And it is, as mentioned above, not only in the resource. Yet, the last word will be responsible for the officials from the Ministry of Defence — particularly from their solutions have always depended and will continue to depend on the fate of all new combat aircraft. I would not like, that the MiG-35, as well as many other upgrades "twenty-ninth", leaving only the prototype created for the development of new technologies. Because of this and because of the fleet is not updated, and suffers the scope of these technologies.