War Thunder Reveals MiG-35: Rank IX Multi-Role Fighter

War Thunder has revealed the MiG-35, described as the most advanced member of the MiG-29 family and arriving at Rank IX of the USSR/Russia aviation tree with the upcoming Sky Odyssey major update. Announced through the game's official devblog, it's being pitched as a top pick across every game mode, Nuclear Escalation included, thanks to a weapons loadout that combines the best of the MiG-29M and naval MiG-29KR variants and then adds more on top.

At a Glance

• High flight performance
• Up to 8 Active Radar Homing missiles
• Advanced MAWS and LWS
• Modern air-to-surface weapons, including the Kh-38 and Grom-2
• T-220 targeting pod
• New Kh-35U anti-ship missiles with GNSS

Using It in Battle

The MiG-35 is built as a genuinely flexible high-rank fighter rather than a specialist. Compared to earlier MiG-29 variants, it adds a new, fast active phased array radar with a wide field of view, a modern Missile Approach Warning System paired with a laser warning system, and the T-220 targeting pod, which opens up laser-guided weapon use for the first time on a MiG-29 variant in-game. Its ARH missile count jumps to eight. Despite all the added electronics, it keeps the series' signature speed and maneuverability, courtesy of the same large wing and high-thrust engines that have defined MiG-29s throughout the tree.

Armament Spotlight

Air-to-air, the MiG-35 carries up to eight R-77-1 ARH missiles alongside the R-27T and R-27R, plus the R-73 for close-range dogfighting. The air-to-surface kit is where it separates itself from prior MiGs: the T-220 pod enables laser-guided munitions including the Kh-38ML and Kh-29L, and the long-range, satellite-guided Grom-2 glide bomb joins the loadout as well. For Nuclear Escalation specifically, the MiG-35 adds the Kh-31PD anti-radiation missile alongside two anti-ship options — the established Kh-31AD and the new Kh-35U. The Kh-35U trades some warhead power for satellite guidance correction and a notably longer independent target-acquisition range, making it more of a stand-off option than a straight damage pick.

Developer Comment: Splitting the Difference

Gaijin frames the MiG-35 around a long-running choice at the top of the Soviet/Russian aviation tree: fast, nimble MiGs versus the heavier, more heavily armed Sukhoi fighters. Their pitch is that the MiG-35 lands squarely in between — a new AESA radar with a wide field of view, up to eight ARH missiles, the best of the R-27 family, a new helmet-mounted display, and modern laser- and satellite-guided ordnance, all while keeping a climb rate and top speed competitive with other nations' top-tier fighters. The developers are explicit that this isn't a compromise pick: it's meant for matches where missile count or maximum air-to-surface range aren't the deciding factor, and the MiG's traditional strengths — speed and agility — still carry the fight.

As with any devblog reveal, treat the loadout and stats above as a strong preview rather than a locked spec sheet. The MiG-35 is tied to the Sky Odyssey major update, which doesn't have a confirmed release date yet, and Gaijin has adjusted vehicle details between reveal and launch before.

For more on what else is landing across War Thunder's top tiers, GameMarket.gg's M7 reveal coverage covers another recent devblog reveal, and the Heavy Cavalry update recap covers the ground-forces patch the game has been building on.

Want to be ready for the MiG-35 when Sky Odyssey lands? Browse verified War Thunder accounts with the Soviet/Russian aviation tree already researched, book War Thunder hourly services to push RP toward Rank IX faster, or check War Thunder boosting to skip the research grind entirely.

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