The Russian airforce will receive the first pre-production models of the light, multi-role MiG-35 jet fighter, says Sergei Korotkov, one of heads of the aerospace group that produces the aircraft.
“At the moment, the planes are on the general assembly floor. They'll be finished soon. We will begin flight testing the planes this year with the aim of verifying the technical requirements set forth by the Ministry of Defence to put the plane into production,” said Korotkov to journalists at the FIDAE-2016 aerospace show in Chile.
The MiG-35 is a mulit-role, “5th generation” fighter combining elements of both stealth and multi-functionality. It is Russia's answer to the similarly numbered F-35 Lightning and the Eurofighter.
“I think these particular machines would be a useful aid in dealing with the challenges faced by the Ministry of Defence today,” said Korotkov.