MiG-31, MiG-25MP, A.I.Mikoyan/M.I.Gurevich 'Foxhound'

Photo (26k) by Ian Woodrow ([email protected]) was found among his Planes and Things

Interceptor developed from the Mig-25. Project under designation MiG-25MP initiated in 1972, and first flight (test-pilot A.Fedotov) took place on September 19, 1975. In mass production since 1979, more than 500 MiG-31 and MiG-31B built. Two-seat aircraft has a re-designed lighter airframe (see table). Missile armament was almost doubled with 4 catapult launchable missiles and powerful cannon added.

(31k) at Monino AF Museum, by

The first (and the only at the 1996) mass production interceptor in the world equipped with fixed Pulse-Doppler radar, allowing simultaneous tracking of 10 targets and firing against four of them. An unit of four MiG-31 can link their radars together, to establish a search pattern - covering a width of 800-900km with four aircraft, spaced at 200km. MiG-31 may also serve as an airborne command center to guide fighters with less powerful radar equipment (MiG-23, MiG-29, MiG-21-93).

Landing gear allows to use MiG-31 from unpaved airstrips (is there any other Mach 3 aircraft with such a capability?).

• MiG-31B equipped with in-air refueling probe;

Some references :
• Article at the Vestnik Vozdushnogo Flota (Air Fleet Herald) 3/4-1996, available in KOI-8 Russian encodings;
• MiG-31 at Evgeni's Red Star Combat Aircraft Page;
• MiG-31 at Yanko's Russian Weapons Catalog; (added 8/18/97)

References:	Links:
"Russia's Top Guns" pp.65; MiG-31 in Soviet aviation	MiG-31 Salnik Andrej's Homepage Su-7B at Watson's Military Page MiG-31M at 'Novik' MiG-31 at Virtual Aircraft Museum	MiG-31 with a lot of great photos MiG-31, Mikoyan 'Foxhound' Mig-31 at Watson's Military Page; DOO Flightsimulator page by Oleg Devjatkin; MiG-31 Foxhound