MiG-35 has edge over rivals in Indian fighter tender: Official

Moscow, Oct 3 (PTI) The MiG-35 fighters offered to India by Russia under New Delhi's USD 10 billion global tender for acquisition of 126 medium multi-role jets has an edge over rivals including US F-16s and F-18s, a top aviation industry official here claimed.

"The competition is very tough, but we have several trump
cards - MiG-35's superb performance characteristics and the
fact that Russia and India share a long-standing partnership
in strategic and political cooperation," President of United
Aircraft Corporation (U.A.C.) Alexei Fedorov told reporters
after his recent India visit with Russian Defence Minister.

He said the U.A.C. is optimistic about MiG-35 winning the
race as an advanced version of MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter in
service with the Indian Air Force.

Six major aircraft makers - Lockheed and Boeing from the
U.S. with F-16 and F-18, Russia's MiG, France's Dassault,
Sweden's SAAB and EADS, a consortium of British, German,
Spanish and Italian companies with Eurofighter -- are in
the race for the USD 10 billion deal.

"So far, none of the participants has met the demands of
the tender put forward by the Indian Air Force," Fedorov said
adding that due to its flying characteristics MiG-35 has an
edge over its rivals.

"Secondly, we have a very long history of our
relationship of not only supply of readymade planes but also
their licensed production in India. In case of MiG-35's
victory, the Indian side would have to spend much less amount
for the creation of infrastructure for the use, maintenance
and servicing of this aircraft," he underscored.

Fedorov, who was in charge of Indo-Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKI
fighter development and production deal, believes that in
defence cooperation the 'level of political trust' is highly
important. "We have a very close bilateral political and
economic ties and this is our third advantage." PTI VS