Putin pins high hope on upcoming MiG-35 fighter

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the country's newest MiG-35 fighter after receiving a report on the start of its test flights, the Kremlin said Thursday.

"I hope very much that our army and our airspace force will be greatly enhanced by this machine," Putin said during a videoconference with the MiG aircraft building corporation, according to an official transcript posted on the Kremlin's website.

The MiG-35 is a near-fifth generation jet fighter, the most advanced version of MiG-29 fighter on service since 1982.

Putin said the new multi-purpose MiG-35 fighter has improved flight performance, and it is equipped with the most modern weapons and able to follow between 10 to 30 targets simultaneously.

The video conference was followed by a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission, a government body responsible for the supervision of Russia's defense industry.

At the meeting, Putin recalled that Russia developed a new state armaments program through 2025, under which the army and the navy should have at least 70 percent of the latest equipment by 2020.

He also called for the strengthening of Russia's ground forces.

source: Xinhua