The Russian Defense Ministry will begin purchasing MiG-35 fighters from 2018 as part of the new state armament program, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said.

The MiG-35 is a multipurpose fighter and an advanced derivative of the original MiG-29М/М2 fighter, featuring improved combat capabilities and flight performance characteristics. It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 2,700 kilometers per hour (1,700 miles per hour) and having a combat radius of 1,000 kilometers.

“We are completing research and development activities with the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG and we hope that from 2018, we will begin to purchase this fighter, as we already have plans on the 2018-2025 state armament program,” Borisov told reporters on the sidelines of last week’s MAKS-2017 air show.

Russia is in the process of implementing a large-scale rearmament program. It was announced in 2010, with a goal of modernizing 70 percent of the country’s military hardware by 2020. The cost of the modernization program is estimated at about 20 trillion rubles (over $300 billion).

The 13th International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2017 kicked off on Tuesday 18 July and lasted through Sunday 23 July.