Russia not to abandon MiG-35 purchase deal

Russian Defense Ministry is not dropping the purchase of MiG-35 fighter jet, Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov said Saturday. The contract could be signed at Moscow's MAKS International Aviation and Space show, slated for Aug. 27 through Sep. 1, Manturov told reporters, adding the first deliveries are expected in 2015-2016. Domestic aircraft manufacturers are "overloaded" with contracts, that's the factor behind the postponed delivery of the fighter jet, said the minister. Earlier this week, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said the ministry postponed buying 37 MiG-35 fighter jets until 2016 due to defense industry's inability to fulfill the contract. Classified as 4++ generation fighter jet, MiG-35 (NATO codename Fulcrum-F) is an advanced version of the MiG-29M. It has improved avionics and weapons systems, especially the new radar system and the optical locator system, which enable it to undertake mutli-role missions independently. It is also equipped with air-to-air and air-to-surface guided missiles.