American defense commentator Brent Eastwood of 19FortyFive has branded Russia’s MiG-35, a 4++ generation fighter, as a «disaster,» arguing that the program never evolved into the long-promised counterpart to Western F-16s, the F-15EX, or even modern stealth jets. Instead, he maintains, the aircraft has drifted into uncertainty.

According to Eastwood, sanctions, unimpressive fuel efficiency, sensor-related complaints, and lingering ambiguity over the fighter’s long-term role have all weighed heavily on the project. He claims that fewer than ten MiG-35s are believed to be in active service, production rates have continued to fall, and export prospects have collapsed as states such as Egypt and India explore alternatives.

Even so, Eastwood concedes that the MiG-35 is a technically competent platform — a transitional design bridging older and future generations of combat aviation. But that, he notes, has not convinced foreign buyers, many of whom appear to be waiting instead for Russia’s fifth-generation Su-57.

Earlier analyses from The National Interest warned Washington against dismissing the Su-57. The publication observed that for years U.S. national-security experts mocked the aircraft, viewing it exclusively through comparisons with the F-22 and F-35, yet the jet may pose a more serious challenge than expected.