Engines and radar to blame for MiG-35 failure in MMRCA contest
.
Radar and engine performance
shortcomings were to blame
for the MiG-35 failing to make the shortlist in
India's medium multi-role combat aircraft
(MMRCA) contest.
The revelations are contained in feedback from
India to Russia's arms export agency,
Rosboronexport.
The MiG-35's radar, the Zhuk-MAE active
electronically scanned array (AESA), from Russia's
Phazotron, failed to achieve the required
acquisition and tracking ranges. And its Klimov
RD-33MK engines also fell short of the Indian
performance criteria.
Speaking to the media on 3 August, Vladimir
Barkovsky, chief of MiG's engineering centre, said:
"The Klimov and Chernyshev [engine companies]
briefed [India] at length about their capabilities and
intentions to improve their offering, but
unfortunately their arguments were not taken into
account."
Despite this, the same RD-33MK met Indian navy
requirements and powers the newly-built
MiG-29K/KUB fighters being delivered to the
service.
Barkovsky also defended the Zhuk-MAE AESA
radar, pointing out that the prototype nature of
the model fitted to the MiG-35 meant that it did
not meet the tender specifications, particularly
regarding range.
He said: "We told the tender committee that this
particular unit is experimental, and that in future
we will make a larger radar antenna [capable of
being used at a longer range]."
Barkovsky pointed out that the Eurofighter
Typhoon is yet to be fitted with a working AESA
radar.
"While the Russians demonstrated their radar
fitted to the real fighter and working, [Eurofighter]
demonstrated their radar on a helicopter," he
said.
"The positive outcome of the Indian tender is that
we made a huge effort on the radar development
and demonstrated what nobody expected of us,
and thus surprised many, including some in our
home country." Barkovsky added.
The company will continue the MiG-35 project, he
said, and look for other export .