Putin hopes MiG-35 will strengthen Russian Aerospace Forces, sees fighter's good export potential
MOSCOW. Jan 26 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed hope that the new Mikoyan MiG-35 fighter aircraft will strengthen the country's armed forces and will also have good export potential.
"I am very hopeful that our army, our Aerospace Forces, will be substantially reinforced by this machine, but this aircraft also has good export potential," he said during a video conference on the occasion of the start of MiG-35 flight tests.
"I mean that over 30 countries are operating a different machine, the MiG-29, and these countries have created a good infrastructure for using this fighter, have trained specialists," Putin said.
"The industry and everything that has to do with operating these machines must be ready to offer our potential partners maintenance services for this equipment, which are extremely necessary nowadays," the president said.
The president also congratulated the MiG-35 creators on the beginning of the flight tests.
The MiG-35 has improved flight and technical characteristics, is armed with the most advanced weapons and can work against both ground and sea targets, Putin said.
"It just really is an interesting, unique machine," the president said.