Russia's state-controlled MiG aircraft manufacturer will publicly unveil the final production model of its new MiG-35 fighter at an air show in India next month, the company said Wednesday.
The full technical specifications of the MiG-35 will be shown at the Yelahanka air base in Bangalore, India, on Feb. 6, a day before the opening of the Aero India exhibition, Vladimir Barkovsky, director of MiG Corp.'s Mikoyan Design Bureau, said in a statement.
Only the test prototype of the MiG-35 has been shown to the public so far at the MAKS Airshow Russia in 2005 and at Farnborough, Britain, last year, according to the statement issued by MiG through the Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Defense & Diplomacy magazine.
The aircraft is based on Russia's existing MiG-29M fighter, but is widely expected to have significant improvements in maneuverability, flight range and weapons systems.
Russia has been promoting the MiG-35 to many potential buyer countries, including India, which is seeking to spend billions of dollars (euros) to modernize its air force.
India _ which traditionally relied on Soviet military hardware until its ties with the United States blossomed _ has been considering aircraft such as U.S. F-16s and F/A-18 Super Hornets, French Mirages, Swedish Gripens or Russian MiGs for a 126-jet deal.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said while visiting Bangalore on Tuesday that Moscow hopes to win the tender by offering aircraft engines that can be serviced and even produced by Indian companies, making the contract cheaper for India, Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency reported.
|
| TRANSPORTATION
| CLASSIFIEDS
