Article Posted on : - Aug 14, 2009

A File Photo of Russian MiG-35

NIZHNY NOVGOROD (BNS): Russia will begin production of MiG-35 multirole fighters offered for sale to India by 2013 or 2014, a Russian aircraft maker has said.

"We have begun testing the MiG-35 fighter for the Indian tender," said Alexander Karezin, general director of the Sokol Company based in Nizhny Novgorod in central Russia.

Ria Novosti quoting Sokol said that the first two MiG-35 aircraft would be delivered to India within this month for test flights prior to the award of the tender.

Russia will also conduct a series of flight tests with live firing for an Indian Air Force delegation at one of the testing grounds on the Russian territory by year end.

MiG-35 Fulcrum-F, which won high acclaim during the Le Bourget air show in France last year, is a highly manoeuvrable air superiority fighter.

The fighter powered by RD-33 OVT thrust vectoring engines is an export version of the MiG-29M OVT (Fulcrum F). The RD-33 OVT engines provide superior manoeuvrability and enhance the fighter's performance in close air engagements.

Russia is ready to transfer all key technology to India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and provide assistance for the production of the aircraft in the country if MiG-35 wins the tender, the report said.

Six major aircraft makers - Lockheed and Boeing from the United States, Russia's MiG, which is part of the UAC, France's Dassault, Sweden's Saab and the EADS consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italian companies - are in contention to win the $10 billion contract for 126 light fighters to be supplied to the Indian Air Force.