April 27, 2007:
Russia has completed testing of the
latest version of its MiG-31 interceptor. The MiG-31 is itself an upgrade of
the MiG-25, which was developed to deal with the American B-70 bomber. When the
United States cancelled the B-70 in 1967 (too expensive, and a decision to go
with bombers that come in low and fast), the Russians kept going with the
MiG-25, and switched its role to reconnaissance. The MiG-25 turned out to be an
excellent recon aircraft, able to fly higher and faster than other fighters
used for this job, although not as high as the American U-2 or SR-71. But the
United States did not sell those aircraft to anyone, while Russia made a lot of
money selling MiG-25s to anyone with enough cash. Russia also made a lot of
money training the two man crew required for each aircraft.
The MiG-31 fixed a long list of MiG-25 problems,
and is a very impressive interceptor. The 46 ton aircraft has passive sensors,
with a range of 200 kilometers, and radar guided R33 missiles, with a range of
150 kilometers. Other missiles are carried, as well as smart bombs. The MiG-31
is not very maneuverable, but it is fast (able to sprint at up to 3,200
kilometers an hour). Like the original MiG-25, it does not have much range (720
kilometers combat radius). The latest version, the MiG-31M, is actually an
accumulation of upgrades. This works has been under way since the Soviet Union
collapsed in 1991. But since then, about 200 of the remaining 350 MiG-31s have
been upgraded, or are in line for the work. Originally, 500 MiG-31s were built
in the 1980s. In the last few years, the MiG-31 fleet has gotten a lot more
money, and readiness (for combat) has gone from under 25 percent, to over 75
percent.
The MiG-31 is the mainstay of Russian air defenses,
at least as far as interceptors go. But the MiG-31 fleet is spread thin across
Russias vast borders, and squadrons tend to be concentrated in areas where they
might encounter high performance intruders (China and Europe). Russia is hoping
that there's an export market for the MiG-31M, although it's unlikely that they
will resume production. There are a hundred MiG-31s in storage, which can be
refurbished and upgraded to MiG-31M standards.