MiG-35 Shows Off New AESA Radar at MAKS 2019

Mikoyan MiG-35 fighter’s new AESA radar was unveiled at MAKS 2019 international air show today morning in Moscow.

The 4++ generation jet was previously equipped with Zhuk-M radar with a mechanically steered antenna.

Phazontron-NIIR reportedly developed the new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar version called Zhuk-A/AM for the fighter. The radar has over 1,000 solid-state transceiver-receiver modules, Anastasia Kravchenko, MiGs communications director, was quoted as saying by the media this year.

Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET) showed its Zhuk-AME FGA 50 AESA radar compatible with MiG-35 jet at Airshow China 2016. The radar can detect targets beyond the line of sight, track up to 30 of them and destroy up to 6 targets in the air and 4 on the ground.

AESA allows to increase the detection range for Zhuk-AME up to 160 km and to simultaneously operate in "air-air" and "air-land" modes, to recognize and classify group and single objects, to simultaneously attack multiple targets with high-precision means of destruction, as well as to transmit tactical data to other aircraft and to carry out electronic countermeasures. It can provide information support at low altitudes, navigation, as well as guidance for sophisticated air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.

Some reports claim that the MiG-35 is to be equipped with Phazotron Zhuk-A/AE AESA radar that offers a wide range of operating frequencies, providing better resistance to electronic countermeasures (ECMs), extended detection range and more air and ground targets detected.