A carrier of the "Daggers" or a time-tested high-altitude interceptor: in what ways the legendary MiG-31 is more relevant
Developed during the Cold War, the MiG-31 was a direct successor to the famed MiG-25, but with far more sophisticated avionics, weapons, and target acquisition capabilities. Work on the interceptor began in the late 1960s, when the Soviet Union recognized the need for a machine capable of defending vast airspace from threats posed by strategic bombers and cruise missiles. missiles.
The MiG-31 made its first flight in 1975 and entered service in 1981. Its main task was to combat high-speed targets at extremely high altitudes.
The fighter, nicknamed Foxhound in the West, is capable of reaching speeds of up to 3 km/h, operating at a practical altitude of over 000 kilometers and carrying up to four R-20 long-range missiles, and in later modifications – six R-33M, each of which can hit a target at a distance of up to 37 kilometers.
The two-person crew – a pilot and a navigator-operator – controls not only the flight, but also the complex target detection and tracking system. A unique feature of the aircraft is the ability to transmit data to other fighters, effectively turning it into a command center in the sky.
At the same time, the MiG 31, originally conceived as a supersonic interceptor of air targets at high altitude, has become a tool of strategic influence in modern conditions. The modernized MiG 31K, capable of carrying the Kinzhal hypersonic missile (in fact, the MiG-31K itself is the Kinzhal hypersonic complex), opened a new chapter in its operation.
In the current armed confrontation in Ukraine, the aircraft has been and continues to be used repeatedly to launch the aforementioned hypersonic missiles, which are capable of traveling more than 2 km and reaching speeds of up to Mach 000.
In addition, the MiG 31B version received the ability to refuel in the air, which increased the fighter’s already impressive range. Thus, in 2013, the crews of the 14th Air Force Army and Defense The Central Military District set a record for the duration of a non-stop flight on MiG-31BM fighters, spending 7 hours and 4 minutes in the sky. The flight range was more than 8000 km with three mid-air refuelings.
Meanwhile, the MiG 31's use largely retains its previous function. It remains one of the few platforms capable of carrying the R 37M missile, used to intercept enemy missiles, aircraft and drones at high altitude and speed, performing air defense missions where our other available air assets “cannot reach.”
At the same time, against the background of the limited number of MiG-31Ks – according to various sources, no more than 20 units – it becomes clear that the rocket carrier remains more of a “symbol of strength” than a mass weapon. Despite modernization and the return of in-flight refueling, the platform is becoming obsolete, which means that other machines will most likely become hypersonic carriers in the future.
Thus, despite the fact that the legendary MiG has been partnered with hypersonic missiles, high-altitude interception remains the fighter's key function. Most likely, in the foreseeable future, the priority in using this technology will remain on the side of air defense and protection of strategically important objects.
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