The Mig-25 vs The SR-71

The Mig-25 vs The SR-71

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The MiG-25 Foxbat was designed as a high-speed pure interceptor to combat the developing XB-70 Valkyrie American bomber capable of Mach 3. Though the Valkyrie never materialized for US war planners, the MiG-25 was kept in production and became one of the fastest aircraft in the world.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat
Origin:	USSR
Type:	single-seat reconnaissance aircraft with limited precision bombing capability
Max Speed:	1,834 kt / 2,112 mph
Max Range:	900 km / 559 miles
Dimensions:	span 13.418 m / 44 ft 0.25 in length 23.82 m / 78 ft 1.8 in height 6.10 m / 20 ft 0.2 in
Weight:	empty 19,600 kg / 43.211 lb max. take-off 33,400 kg / 73,634 lb
Powerplant:	two 11200-kg (24,691-Ib) afterburning thrust Tumanskii R-15BD-300 turbojets
Armament:	four wing hardpoints for R-40, R-60, R-23 missiles
Operators:	Algeria, Azerbaijan, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Russia, Syria, Ukraine

The MIG-25P FoxBat Interceptor

The MiG-25P is an interceptor aircraft for countering air targets in all weather conditions, by day and by night, and in dense hostile electronic warfare environments. The MiG-25P constitutes a part of the Russian S-155P missile interceptor system. The MiG-25P is produced by RSK MiG, which is based in Moscow and the Sokol Aircraft Manufacturing Plant Joint Stock Company at Nizhni Novgorod in Russia. The MiG-25 fighter series are known by the NATO codename Foxbat and are in service in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, India, Iraq, Algeria, Syria and Libya.

Design

The MiG-25P is a twin-finned, high-wing monoplane with slightly swept wings and a variable-angle tail plane. To improve the aircraft's longitudinal stability, and to avert stall at steep angles and subsonic speed, there are two shallow upper-surface fences on each wing. The high-wing monoplane configuration together with lateral air intakes have the effect of reducing the loss of aerodynamic efficiency resulting from wing-fuselage interference.

Weapons

The aircraft is armed with four R-40 (Nato codename AA-6 Acrid) air-to-air missiles equipped with infrared and radar homing heads. The range of these missiles is 2-60km. The missiles are suspended from four under wing pylons. It may also be fitted with two R-40 and four R-60 (AA-8 Aphid), or two R-23 (AA-Apex) and four R-73 (AA-11 Archer). The MiG-25 is not fitted with a gun.

Avonics

The MiG-25P is fitted with electronic equipment including: Smerch-A2 radar sight (Nato codename Fox Fire), developed by the Phazotron Research and Production Company; Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder; aircraft responder to maintain communications with guidance and landing radars operating in active radio-location mode; and radar warning receiver. The flight control and navigation equipment includes ARK-10 automatic radio compass, RV-4 radio altimeter and Polyot-11 navigation-landing system. The Polyot-11 navigation and landing system, coupled with ground radio beacon and landing radio beacons, provides programmed aircraft maneuvers including climb, en-route flight, returns to the take-off aerodrome or to one of the three emergency airfields, and low-run landing approach and missed approach maneuvers.

Engine

The aircraft is powered by two R-15B-300 single-shaft turbojets, arranged in the tail section of the fuselage. The engines develop 11,200kgf of thrust with fully selected afterburner. The engines provide a maximum speed of 3,000km/hour at high altitude. The maximum speed at low altitude is 1,200km/hour. The aircraft has a service ceiling of 22,500 meters. The range at altitudes between 9-11km with speed of Mach 0.85 is 1,950km. At higher altitudes between 20-21km and speed Mach 2.35, the range is 1,650km. The maximum in-service g-load is 4.5g.

MIG-25P Variants

The MiG-25R, MiG-25RB and MiG-25BM are derivatives from the MiG-25P. The MiG-25R is a tactical reconnaissance aircraft. The MiG-25RB is a variant for bombing area and large targets. The aircraft is fitted with a reconnaissance station, aerial camera, topographic aerial camera, the Peteng sighting and navigation system to bomb programmed targets, and electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment, which includes active jamming and electronic reconnaissance systems.

The MiG-25BM aircraft has the capability to launch guided missiles against ground targets, and to destroy area targets, targets with known co-ordinates, and enemy radars. The airborne anti-radar Kh-58 (Nato codename AS-11 Kilter) missiles are capable of destroying enemy radars, such as the targeting radars of Hawk-type air defence missile systems, at stand-off ranges. The launch range of the Kh-58 is from 40-300km. The Kh-58U missile is developed and manufactured by the Raduga Engineering Design Bureau, Moscow.

Air Force Technology

The "FoxBat" Vs The "Blackbird"

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Mig-25 FoxBat

Was the Mig-25 Foxbat and the upgrade Mig-31 Foxhound capable of intercepting an SR-71? This question comes up regularly at SR-71 symposiums and Blackbird speaker events throughout the U.S. To put to rest this question is the purpose of this web page. During the cold War the Russians were highly concerned about the United State's XB-70 supersonic bomber project. In response, they built the Mig-25 which was designed to be a Mach 2.8 Interceptor for countering air targets in all weather conditions, by day and by night and in dense hostile electronic warfare environments. This was the USSR's answer to the design in the US of fast, high flying aircraft as the XB-70, North American F-108 and Lockheed SR-71. The MiG-25 lacked technological refinement, but its performance caused much concern in the west. It was designed to function both as a long- range interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft. The center fuselage is a big, welded steel fuel tank, so avionics, radar or cameras are in the nose. Speed is limited to Mach 2.83 mainly by controllability problems. The MiG-25 is a twin-finned high-wing monoplane with slightly swept wings and a variable angle tail plane. To improve the aircraft's longitudinal stability and to avert stall at steep angles and subsonic speed, there are two shallow upper surface fences on each wing. The high-wing monoplane configuration together with lateral air intakes both have the effect of reducing the loss of aerodynamic efficiency resulting from wing-fuselage interference. The aircraft is powered by two 11200kg Tumansky R-15D-300 single shaft turbojets, arranged in the tail section of the fuselage. The engines develop 11,200 kgf of thrust with fully selected afterburner. The engines provide a maximum speed of 3,000 km/hour at high altitude. The maximum speed at low altitude is 1,200 km/hour. The aircraft has a service ceiling of 22,500 meters. The range at altitudes between 9 and 11 km with speed of Mach 0.85 is 1,950 km. At higher altitudes between20 and 21 km and speed Mach 2.35, the range is 1,650 km. The maximum in-service g-load is 4.5g's.There are two-seat trainer versions of both the fighter and the reconnaissance version. Production of the fighter ended in 1983. The MiG-25 saw combat in several wars in the Middle East. Over 1200 have been built, of which about 75% were interceptors. The MiG-25 was produced by MAPO-MiG, the Moscow Aircraft Production Organization MiG, which is based in Moscow and the Sokol Aircraft Manufacturing Plant Joint Stock Company at Nizhni Novgorod in Russia.

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Lt Viktor Belenko

In search of Freedom, on September 06, 1976 Lt. Viktor Ivanovich Belenko piloted his Mig-25 (USSR Product #84) from the 513th Fighter Regiment at the Siberian Base of Sakharovka, Soviet Air Defense Command and defected to the United States. He landing the Mig-25 in Japan under adverse weather conditions. No Westerner had ever been close to a Mig-25 and much about the aircraft were unknown. It was the one plane most feared in the West. In 1973, US. Air Force Secretary Robert C. Seamans deemed the Mig-25 as "Probably the best interceptor in production in the world today". In 1967 a stripped down Mig-25 set a world record by achieving a speed of 1,852 MPH and another aircraft set the altitude record by soaring to 118,898 feet. Lt Viktor Belenko with very low fuel landed his Mig-25 at Hakodate Airport in northern Japan, running off the end of the short runway. His defection to the West gave the United States the opportunity to closely examine the Mig-25. The aircraft was completely dismantled and then carefully inspected by aviation scientists and engineers from both Japan and the United States. President Ford granted Belenko asylum in the United States and the pilot underwent five months of questioning and interrogation. The United States Government established a Trust Fund for him and the interest alone afforded Belenko very comfortable living in the U.S. He was a free man, at last, to do as he pleased.

Upon dismantling the Mig-25, the data was analyzed by the Foreign Technology Division of the Air Force at Dayton, Ohio. There were many surprises:

1)   The Mig had been manufactured in February 1976 and thus was one of their latest most sophisticated production aircraft.
2)   Transistor circuitry was not used but instead the Soviets relied on high tech vacuum tubes for most of their electronics.
3)   Welding was done by hand.
4)   Rivet heads were exposed in areas not critical to parasitic aerodynamic drag.
5)   Pilot forward vision was highly obstructed.
6)   With huge Tumansky R-15D-300 engines the Mig was considered almost a rocket.
7)   Pilots were forbidden to exceed Mach 2.5. There was a total of three engine instruments and the airspeed indicator was redlined at 2.8 Mach.
8)   Above Mach 2.8 the engines would overheat and burn up. The Americans had clocked a Mig-25 over Israel at Mach 3.2 in 1973. Upon landing in Egypt, the engines were totally destroyed. We did not understand that the engine destruction was inevitable.
9)   The combat radius is 186 miles.
10) Without using afterburner; staying at optimum altitude and not maneuvering, the Mig can fly in a straight line for 744 miles.
11) The plane was so heavy, at 64,200 pounds, that Soviet designers had to eliminate a pilot ejection system.
12) Maximum operational altitude: Carrying two missiles, 78,740 feet (for maximum two minutes duration); carrying four missiles, 68,900 feet is maximum.
13) Maximum altitude of missiles: 88,588 feet.
14) Ability to intercept an SR-71: Belenko states the Mig-25 cannot intercept the SR-71 for several reasons: The SR-71 fly too high and too fast; the Mig cannot reach it or catch it. The missiles lack the velocity to overtake the SR-71 and in the event of a head on missile fire (The Golden BB), the Guidance system cannot adjust to the high closure rate of the SR-71.
15) The Mig-25 has a jam proof radar but cannot distinguish targets below 1,640 feet due to ground clutter. The radar was so powerful it could burn through jamming signals by approaching bombers.
16) Maximum G load: With full fuel tanks 2.2 G's is max; with near empty fuel tanks, 5 G's is dangerous. The Mig-25 cannot turn inside a U.S. F-4 Phantom fighter!
17) The plane was made of steel alloy, not high temperature titanium, although strips of titanium was used in areas of high heat concentration.
18) In a tight turn the missiles could be ripped from the wings.
19) The Mig-25 was was not a fighter or an air superiority aircraft but rather designed by the Soviets to climb at tremendous speeds, fire missiles at one pass of the target and then land.
20) Search and tracking radar had a range of 55.9 miles.
21) The pilot duties were to take off, turn on the auto pilot and await instructions to fire the missiles from ground controllers. The Mig-25 had a superb auto pilot and digital communications from an onboard computer to ground controllers.
22) Credit is given to the Soviets for building a high altitude Interceptor in a short period of time with the materials and engines available to them in 1967 in order to counter the perceived threat of the XB-70.

On November 12, 1976, sixty-seven days after the defection of Belenko and his Mig-25 to the West, the United States and Japan returned the Mig-25 to Russia...in dismantled pieces.

The Intercept Probability By A Mig 25 Foxbat
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The Intercept Problem	The Intercept Probability