Max C
Date: June 27, 2021
AUTHOR Vadim Botnaryuk
The deployment of heavy MiG-31K fighters at the Russian Khmeimim airbase in Syria serves not only as a response to the deployment of a joint British and American carrier strike group in the Eastern Mediterranean, but also aims to familiarize the Syrians with the management of modern combat aircraft, which could ultimately be selected by the Syrian Air Force for replacing the aging MiG-25. This is reported by the American military edition Military Watch. We present the translation of this article.
After expanding the runways in 2020, the Russian Air Force deployed MiG-31K (Foxhound) heavy combat aircraft at Khmeimim airbase in Syria, its most active military facility outside the former USSR. This follows the first-ever deployment of Tu-22M supersonic bombers at the same facility in May, with longer runways being the key to deploying such aircraft.
Russian state media dubbed the MiG-31K interceptors and showed footage of them flying unarmed with Kh-47M2 hypersonic ballistic missiles, indicating that they can use air-to-air missiles as well as long-range R-missiles. 37. The interceptor variants MiG-31, MiG-31BM and MiG-31BSM are considered the most capable aircraft of the country in terms of the ability to attack air targets deployed at the squadron level.
Earlier it was reported that Syria showed interest in acquiring these aircraft, which are valued for their unrivaled speed and range, as well as for the very high degree of situational awareness provided by their Zaslon-M radars.
The MiG-31K entered service in 2018 and, along with the Tu-22M, is one of two aircraft in the Russian Air Force capable of carrying the Kh-47M2 hypersonic missiles. This rocket model has no competitors outside of Russia, it is distinguished by very high accuracy, a speed of Mach 10 and a flight range of 2000 km. Missiles are prized for their ability to hit both warships and ground targets, as well as their ability to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. Their speed, combined with their high maneuverability, makes them virtually inaccessible to interception.
The Khmeimim airbase was established in August 2015, shortly before the Russian military intervention in Syria, and initially deployed aircraft needed to support Syrian counterinsurgency activities, such as Su-25 attack aircraft and Su-24 strike fighters. Since November 2015, they have been reinforced by air superiority fighters such as the Su-27SM3 and later the Su-35.
More recently, with the final decision on the outcome of the Syrian war, Russia has deployed longer-range weapons systems that enable it to strike targets across Europe from NATO's more vulnerable southern flank. The high endurance and very long range of the Tu-22M and MiG-31 - two of the heaviest combat aircraft ever used in Hemeimim - make them ideal for such missions.
The deployment of the MiG-31K follows the deployment of a joint British and American aircraft carrier strike group in the Eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Syria and comes amid a surge in tensions between Moscow and London. The official statement said that the Foxhounds "have begun to carry out tasks to develop the airspace of the region", which indicates their role not only in air strikes against ground targets.
The deployment of the MiG-31K can serve additional purposes: in particular, to familiarize the personnel of the airbase with combat aircraft of this type, in order to prepare the possibility of receiving and servicing a larger number of Foxhounds, and in the long term - potentially also to familiarize the Syrians with the management of modern combat aircraft, which may ultimately be chosen to replace the aging MiG-25 (Foxbat), currently the elite of the Syrian Air Force.
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