Foxhounds of the 21st Century and Raptors: Different Purpose and Similar Destiny. What is the similarity of the epochal machines?
The prototype of the MiG-16 long-range high-altitude fighter-interceptor - E-1975MP (board "31"), which first took off on September 155, 831, received all the constructive and conceptual "roots" of the well-known and unique 3-fly MiG- interceptor fighter 25PD. “Put on the wing” by the recognized pilot-ace of the USSR Alexander Vasilievich Fedotov, the MiG-31 embodied all the best flight-technical qualities of its ancestor MiG-25, and also received a modernization base, which allowed in the near future to rank the car as the 4th generation tactical aviation, and then to the category of the most advanced heavy interceptors of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This magnificent machine was created at the very height of the Cold War, when the northern strategic airspace of the Soviet Union was continually violated by the American strategic intelligence agents SR-71A "Blackbird", and armed with surface ships and submarines of the Navy fleet The United States received strategic cruise missiles RGM / UGM-109A / B / C Block I / II / IIA Tomahawk. MiG-25PD / PDM, with their obsolete airborne radars Smerch-2A and Sapfir-25, could no longer realize the early detection and interception of small-sized Tomahawks; Also, the MiG-25PD missile armament began to lag behind Western models. The air-to-air missiles R-40P and R-40T had a maximum speed of attacked targets of the order of 835 m / s, which was absolutely insufficient to intercept the SR-71A Blackbird even at short distances. The standard operating speed of the latter usually approached 900 m / s.
The first serial modification of the MiG-31 was fully prepared for this. For the first time in the Soviet practice of military aircraft manufacturing, an on-board radar with a passive phased antenna array РП-31 Н007 "Barrier" was installed on a machine of this class. Targets with 2 m2 EPR were detected at a distance of 120 — 140 km. In addition, Zaslon is capable of simultaneously capturing 4 air targets and firing them with high-speed X-NUMX-swing missiles R-4,5. The capabilities of this missile in the fight against long-range high-speed maneuvering targets increased approximately 33-5 times in comparison with the P-6Р. So, G-limit overload goal for P-40 is 33 units. (for Р-8Р - total 40-2,5 units), plus to everything - the flight distance increased from 3 to 60 and more than kilometers. Due to equipping the MiG-120 with a network-centric complex for the exchange of tactical information about the air situation of the ADF-31 (it allows data exchange with other MiG-518, MiG-31 and Su-29 family vehicles, as well as DRLO A-27 aircraft at a distance of 50 km), cockpit received co-pilot systems. Later, a more advanced modification of the MiG-200B.
The MiG-31B multipurpose interceptor fighter began to be developed around the 1985 year. The main requirement for the updated car was an increase in the range characteristics, as well as the modernization of the elemental base of the radar "Barrier". The last point was facilitated by the incident with the agent of the Western special services Adolph Tolkachev, who provided the Western European and overseas “friends” with technical documentation on both the MiG-31 and the MiG-29А. The first point (increase in range) was due to the need for long-distance patrols of the air spaces of the Arctic region, as well as the escort of anti-submarine naval aircraft. The MiG-31, retrofitted with a barbell in the air, were called “Item 01D3”. There were also transitional versions of the MiG-31BS (“product 01BS”): only the avionics were upgraded here, but the refueling bar was not installed.
The final serial modification was the MiG-31B ("Item 01B"). This machine has received the full update package used in the 01-3 and 01BS modifications. In addition to the L-shaped refueling bar, the interceptor received an improved Zaslon-A radar with identical power indicators, but higher noise immunity and computational tools. Mass production of these machines began at the end of 90 year.
Traditionally, multipurpose heavy fighter-interceptors of the MiG-31 family are usually compared with the American carrier-based fighter interceptors F-14A "Tomcat" and F-14D "Super Tomcat". The bully cats that entered service in the 1974 year have the most similar combat characteristics with our Foxhound, including the range of the AN / AWG-9 and AN / APG-71 airborne radars and the AIM air-to-air missile radius of operation. -54B / C Phoenix. But the combat career of the Tomcats, due to the advent of the more modern Super Hornets and, due to the stupidity of the US Navy command, was completed on 22 of September 2006 of the year, the fleet lost its speediest stories multipurpose deck machine, replacing it with slow F-35B / C and F / A-18E / F, making a choice in favor of greater maneuverability and ease of maintenance. And therefore, the comparison today is not quite logical to do.
More relevant may be the comparison of the deficient MiG-31B / BM family with the American F-22A "Raptor". Many may speak far not in favor of this comparison, because the machines are completely different in purpose, but there is no doubt that some characteristics and features of combat use unite them.
Designed to replace the 4th generation F-15C "Eagle" air superiority fighters, as well as the more feature-rich tactical fighters of the "4 ++" generation F-15E "Strike Eagle", the F-22A was blessed with the most advanced year with the design features of the airframe in terms of reducing the radar signature, the best in terms of thrust-to-weight ratio of the Pratt & Whitney F1990-PW-119 TRDDF with OVT mode, as well as the most advanced avionics. Being the first tactical carrier of the AN / APG-100 onboard radar with active HEADLIGHTS in the US Air Force, the Raptor, although it did not outstrip the MiG-77 in terms of equipping with modern HEADLIGHTS radars, received the best-of-its-kind radar, which for more than 31 years, TTX, firmly holds positions between the station N10 "Belka" (installed on the T-036 PAK FA) and the N50M "Bars", known in the armament of the su-011SM super-maneuverable multipurpose fighters. More often, the F-30A is compared with such advanced transitional generation vehicles as the Su-22S, or the stealthy 35th generation T-5 PAK FA fighter, but the emphasis in these machines is placed on the versatility of the tasks performed, which include gaining air superiority. and the breakthrough of enemy air defense or strike missions.
"Raptor", by contrast, is more often used as an aviation complex to gain air supremacy. So, over the territory of Syria, the Americans use this car to protect the friendly forces of the so-called “moderate opposition”, and during the air operation “Odyssey. Dawn "F-22A is usually used for reconnaissance purposes and to provide a no-fly zone in Libyan airspace. The first baptism "Raptor" occurred in the Syrian company, where the machines of this type were first used to inflict pinpoint attacks on the infrastructure of ISIL in Syria. The most common air-to-ground armament for the Raptor is that GBU-32 JDAM guided bombs and small so-called “narrow bombs” of the GBU-39 SDB and GBU-53 / B SDB-II class continue to remain. The latest versions of SDB (“Small Diameter Bomb”) have the highest accuracy (CWO up to 5 m) and low radar visibility in 0,01 м2, due to which a breakthrough air defense can be achieved even by more or less modern air defense systems of the Buk-М1 or С-300ПС type with exact defeat of the covered purpose. But this weapon, integrated into the Raptor SUV, cannot make the F-22A a worthy attack aircraft complex of the 21st century.
Firstly, the range of these UAB usually does not exceed 120 km when starting from a height of 10 — 12 km. Secondly, bombs suited to the target at a low subsonic speed that does not create absolutely no difficulties to capture the most perfect troop ZRSK like "Thor M2E», «shell-S1" and long-range air defense missile systems such as the C-300PM1, C-300V4 and C -400 "Triumph". At the same time, we have not heard about development of specialized versions of the PLLR AGM-88 HARM with folding rudders, AGM-84H SLAM-ER tactical missiles and other advanced WTO for Raptor. For this reason, we conclude: the appointment of the F-22A will continue to fight with the near and far air enemy.
While over the course of the 15 years, the F-22A gradually went through various preparatory technological stages and was approaching the acquisition of initial combat readiness, our MiG-31B did not stand still either. Mikoyan, applying technological developments, previously prepared for introduction into the modification of the MiG-31M, in 1997 year began to develop another, more inexpensive version of the machine, the MiG-31BM, which today quite rightly applies to the generation of "4 +". Let me remind you that the first crown of joint engineering thought of the OKB MiG, OKB-19 them. Pavel A. Solovyov and the Leninets NGO, the MiG-31M, did not get into service with the Russian Air Force at the beginning of the 90s due to the lack of adequate allocations from the Russian leadership due to the crisis economic situation in the country that broke out during adjustment.
The car was supposed to get a promising airborne radar with a PFAR "Zaslon-M" with increased energy potential, as well as throughput and target channelity (24 accompanied targets and 6 captured). The detection range for typical targets was exactly 2 times as large as the first version of Barrier (400 km versus 200 km). Due to the installation of a more advanced avionics (new radar and EW containers at the wing tips), as well as increased fuel system capacity by 1500, the empty mass of the MiG-31М was 2355 kg (11%) more than in the early MiG-31, therefore, the 2,4 m2 received a large wing area on the 31, as well as aerodynamic flows at the root of the wing in order to compensate for the loss of stability that appeared after increasing the central fuel tank in the MiG-31M gargrote. The number of suspension points of the MiG-8 increased from 10 to 7560, and the mass of the combat load from 10000 to XNUMX kg.
The updated Zaslon-M radar made it possible to use P-33С and Р-37 guided air-to-air missiles in ultra-long air combat to intercept small hypersonic (including aeroballistic) air assault weapons, as well as medium / long-range air combat missiles RVV-AE / -PD families (Р-77) for the destruction of highly maneuverable aerodynamic targets, anti-aircraft, cruise and other aircraft missiles. The high combat qualities of the vehicle were demonstrated in 1994, when one of the remaining 6 prototypes of the interceptor intercepted the training target at a distance of 300 km: all the achievements of the American deck of the Tomcat-Phoenix were completely deflected.
Similar qualities have been endowed with modern MiG-31BM. Despite the fact that “BMKs” are advanced versions of the MiG-31B in terms of electronic “stuffing”, and retained the same aerodynamics and airframe with a standard wing area, the new equipment gave the multipurpose interceptor the previously unthinkable capabilities to combat a wide range of ground and surface targets.
The combat load of the MiG-31BM is 9000 kg (just 1 a ton less than the MiG-31М provided), but a huge list of used missile-bomb armaments appeared, which was not available on previous versions of the MiG-31, and which is much wider than on one of the most advanced versions of Raptor - F-22A Block 35 Increments 3.2 / 3.3. This list includes: tactical missiles with television and semi-active laser seeker X-29T / L, X-31P long-range anti-radar missiles and X-31AD supersonic anti-ship missiles (59 range) developed on their basis. km), guided bombs KAB-285 and other modern WTO. This weaponry turns the MiG-500BM into a real “killer” of the enemy’s land and sea air defense: as far as we know, not a single modern tactical fighter-carrier of anti-radar and anti-ship missiles has the ability to approach the target at 31 — 2,4 speed with weapons on hangers, but the updated “ Thirty-first will do it without difficulty, plus, at the same time, it will repel the attack of an air enemy at a distance of up to 2,6 km with the latest P-280 or RVV-BD missiles. "Raptors", for example, even with all its versatility, can not boast of such unique characteristics of conducting long-range air combat with simultaneous work "on the ground." All this was achieved through the use of a fundamentally new weapons control system (CWS) Zaslon-AM, for the management of which we developed a high-performance BCG Baget-37.
As you can see, historically, two machines of different generations (MiG-31BM and F-22A), of different classes and with differing tactical and technical characteristics, have a very similar fate. The initially planned huge series of “Raptors”, due to economic problems and investments in programs such as JSF (F-35A / B / C), was gradually reduced in just a dozen years to 187 front-line machines, which is why rarely use them in various theaters, leaving them on the “darkest day”; Also, the Raptors are rarely used in percussion operations, despite the possibilities of working on ground targets, shouldering them on the shoulders of the Super Hornets and Strike Needles pilots. A similar situation is observed with our MiG-31B / BM.
In July of this year, the US congressmen, relying on disappointing forecasts for the cost of the deck versions of F-35B / C, as well as on confirmed data on low LTH F-35A, quite seriously began to think about restarting the production capacity of F-22A and upgrading armed 187 fighter. After all, more or less sensible heads at the Pentagon and the Defense Ministry understand that the Lightnings are inferior to the Raptors and the Russian super-maneuverable Su-30M and Su-35С fighters in terms of achieving superiority; on the F-35A alone, the protection of the NORAD air defense identification zone cannot be constructed. However, the “reset” of serial production of the F-22A, firstly, will require additional considerable financial injections, and secondly, it no longer has the relevance that was in the first decade of the 21st century. So, for example, a smaller amount of internal weapons compartments of the F-22A does not allow in low-profile mode to take on more 2 guided bombs weighing more than 467 kg (GBU-32), F-35A and C can take 4 bombs of similar caliber and 2 UAB caliber 900 kg. The only exception is the low-visibility deck fighter with a short take-off and vertical landing of the F-35B, where part of the volume of the internal weapon compartments is occupied by an air intake and a nacelle with a lifting fan.
“Raptor”, however, to expand the nomenclature of attack missile-bomb armament, will require the use of external underwing suspensions, which will lead to the loss of the stealth mode. This perspective does not suit the Americans at all, because it completely contradicts the concept of their air force, where priority is given to subtle, fast and powerful strike operations.
As for the MiG-31BM, its assembly line has also recently been considered to restart. And it was not suggested by a simple Internet browser or blogger, but by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin. It was not by chance that after exactly 20 years, an opinion was expressed about the possible resumption of the MiG-31BM: the car is really ready for the shock operations of the new century and air battles at extreme ranges, at which other fighters only discover each other. But in the end they decided to stop only at upgrading existing machines to the level of the MiG-31BM. There are several reasons for this: this is a large radar signature of the airframe (EPR around 10 m2), and low maneuverability, which does not allow melee air combat, and just a huge infrared signature, which can be seen at a distance of a couple of hundred kilometers using an infrared optical-electronic channel AN / AAQ-37 DAS and AAQ-40 (CCD-TV) systems installed on the F-35A. Nevertheless, the cars will serve in the Russian Aerospace Forces for at least another ten years, since there are some unspecified at the beginning of the quality review - the ability to fly at supersonic cruising speeds up to 2250 km / h (with ultra long RV 37 X-VUMV 4). interception of stratospheric targets at speeds up to 6500-7000 km / h; use as a high-speed, super-operational DRLOU aircraft for other tactical aircraft. In these tasks, our MiG-31BM and with the Raptors can.
The VKS of Russia is armed with 150 MiG-31B / BM / BCM, 113 of which will be upgraded to versions BM / BCM with the capacities of OAO Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft Building Plant Sokol. It is very difficult to say whether this amount is enough or not. But given that the link of these multi-purpose interceptors can keep under control a segment of air space longer than 1000 km, even a quarter of the MiG-31BM fleet is enough to hold strategic air directions both in the Far East and in the European theaters of operations. Overtaking a target with an afterburner turned off, these interceptors can be 1,15 times faster than Raptors, which is why an 150 machine can be considered an ample number. And let's not forget about the "Thirty First", which are in service with the Air Defense Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Some of the Kazakh MiGs are also being upgraded, and will eventually become a reliable aerospace "shield" on the southern air route of the CSTO, in addition to the C-300PS anti-aircraft missile systems recently transferred to the Union Republic.
With the "Raptors" in the US Air Force everything is much harder. Given their aggressive military-political activities, the entire 187 of airplanes has to be distributed both for the defense of the air borders of the North American continent and for participation in hostilities and reconnaissance operations in the APR, in the Middle East and in Europe. In conclusion, it is worth noting: both our and American machines, despite their conceptual differences, can be put on a single “step” in terms of relevance to the Air Force, the number in service and the range of operations carried out on both sides of the barricades. Their full combat potential will be revealed only during the global military escalation, which will require the use of all types of military-political instruments.
Sources of information:
http://forum.militaryparitet.com/viewtopic.php?id=10593
http://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/3701281
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fighter/f22.html
http://paralay.com/mig31m.html
Information