Alexey Zorya
Sohu: Does Russia really not have a fighter to replace the MiG-31?
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation | Go to photo bank
The MiG-31 is an extremely useful Russian weapon against United States air and sea targets. However, the possibility of selling this interceptor in large quantities, on the one hand, depends on whether Russia wants to sell it, and on the other hand, on whether someone wants to buy it.
Pictures of military aircraft (军机图)
Design Bureau named after Mikoyan A.I. (now JSC RAC MiG), was an important aircraft manufacturer during the Soviet era and produced a large number of world famous aircraft during the Cold War. We can say that the MiG-29 and MiG-31 are the two most famous fighters of this design bureau.
In particular, the MiG-29 is an excellent multirole fighter, while the MiG-31 is a heavy interceptor fighter. The MiG-31 first took to the air in 1975 with a range of over 3,000 kilometers, a top speed of Mach 2.83 and a maximum takeoff weight of 46.2 tons. The length of the aircraft is 22.69 meters, the wingspan is 13.46 meters, and the height is 6.15 meters.
Unlike the MiG-31, the MiG-29 fighter is a medium-sized fighter with a range of only about 2,000 kilometers. The MiG-29 has a maximum takeoff weight of just over 20 tons, a length of 17.37 meters, a wingspan of 11.4 meters and a height of 4.73 meters. If two fighters are put together, the difference in size will be clear at a glance.
The birth of the MiG-31 is largely due to the size of the territory of the Soviet Union. Due to the vastness of the country during the Soviet era, it needed a long-range, fast interceptor with a large bomb load to protect its borders. The MiG-31 was developed from the MiG-25.
The MiG-31 is currently one of the most widely used fighter aircraft in the Russian military. The current upgraded version of the MiG-31 is equipped with a new D-30F6M engine, digital flight control, multifunctional LCD displays in the cockpit, and other new features. Russia is preparing to take the updated MiG-31 into service until the 2030s. Russia is currently developing a supersonic fighter-interceptor to replace the MiG-31, also known as the MiG-41 or PAK DP (Advanced Long-Range Interceptor Aircraft).
According to current estimates, the PAK DP will have a top speed of Mach 4 to Mach 4.3 and a cruising speed of approximately Mach 3. What weapons the PAK-DP will use in the future is also an interesting question. Viktor Bondarev, then Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, said the MiG-41 would carry R-37 long-range air-to-air missiles "and completely new missiles." The range of the R-37 air-to-air missile can reach 400 kilometers. In addition, the previous modification of the aircraft - the MiG-31 - can carry R-77 medium-range air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 110 kilometers, and the MiG-31 can usually carry four such missiles. The launching ability of the R-37 in terms of speed and range is determined by the Zaslon-M radar,
Why does Russia like the MiG-31 so much?
1. Russia has the largest territory in the world. When it comes to military equipment, Russia needs heavy interceptors to patrol its vast borders. Most of the conventional "light" or even medium fighters currently in service with Russia cannot fulfill this mission, as they lack the range and speed to intercept. For example, the MiG-29 has a range of only 2,000 kilometers or less, and cannot perform missions to expel and intercept enemy aircraft. And since there is not enough power, he will not be able to quickly gain altitude and carry out the task of intercepting American supersonic bombers, while the MiG-31 is capable of this.
2. At present, Russia is still under the threat of foreign invasion. American strategic bombers often approach Russia's borders for transit reconnaissance. In mid-October of this year, American B-1B bombers invaded the Russian naval exercise area, and the Russian army did not hesitate to take the MiG-31 into the air to expel the B-1B. It can be seen that in an emergency, the MiG-31 has an emergency response capability that other fighters cannot match.
3. The MiG-31 can not only perform its usual tasks effectively, but thanks to its large fuselage, it can also integrate new weapons and provide new combat capabilities. A vivid example of this is the Russian hypersonic missile Kinzhal, custom-made specifically for the MiG-31.
Does Russia really not have a fighter to replace the MiG-31?
1. With the many design paths for fighter jets and the development of aerial refueling systems, the actual international demand for heavy interceptors such as the MiG-31 is not that high. But Russia is another matter: Russia considers the threat from the United States the most serious, especially from American strategic bombers and surface fleets. Therefore, for Russia, the MiG-31 is not “adding new patterns to the brocade” , but an indispensable part of the fight against the United States.
2. Despite the fact that the Su-57 and Su-35S have begun to be produced and even entered service in batches in the army, there is still a big gap in the Russian Air Force. Add to that the challenges that Russia faces in the north, south, west and east, and even these new generation multi-role fighters alone cannot cope with them. Russia is increasingly facing growing threats, especially on its northern border, and the MiG-31 is capable of high-intensity cruise flights.
3. The MiG-31 has its own unique characteristics, and the resulting air superiority is widely recognized by the Russian army. Therefore, although now you can often see that Russia has not only Su-35S, but also Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers, but it is the MiG-31 that is still the “mysterious killer”, lifting which into the air at any moment terrifies the enemy .
Why won't the US make an interceptor similar to the MiG-31?
1. When the Soviet Union was building the MiG-31, it faced an unprecedented threat from the United States. In the mid-1970s, there were three huge dangers for the Soviet Union: the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird strategic supersonic reconnaissance aircraft, cruise missiles, and low-flying aircraft. And especially in response to the SR-71, the Soviet army had to keep high-speed interceptor fighters in service. The pressure from the existence of this kind of aircraft for the United States is negligible, so there has never been a strong demand in America for the creation of analogues of the MiG-31.
2. The United States is much smaller than the Soviet Union and Russia, and the Russian Federation cannot satisfy its air defense needs by relying on conventional fighters alone. In addition, it does not have enough air bases to completely cover its borders with conventional aircraft. The MiG-31 can fly for a long time at Mach 2.3 (cruising speed), which allows only four aircraft to patrol and protect a really vast area from bombers and cruise missiles. The United States, on the other hand, went the opposite way: it built a large number of military air bases and deployed a large number of conventional fighters to completely cover the borders. Why won't Russia build more air bases? This is also due to the geographical landscape of the country: many places in the north are in the permafrost region and are not suitable for the construction of air bases.
3. The United States believes that the MiG-31 is not a high performance fighter and its mission is relatively simple. This is not consistent with the concept of the development of American technology, so it is quite natural for the United States not to produce such heavy interceptors.
So why is the MiG-31 not being exported?
The answer to this question should be divided into internal and external causes.
As for internal reasons, for Russia, a supersonic interceptor such as the MiG-31 has a huge impact and even plays a certain strategic role. It is quite possible to designate it as a product not for sale.
At the international level, not all countries are as big as Russia, and their geography and climate are not as complex as hers, so the demand for the purchase of the MiG-31 is not so great.
Thus, the MiG-31 is indeed an extremely useful Russian weapon against United States air and sea targets. However, the possibility of selling this interceptor in large quantities, on the one hand, depends on whether Russia wants to sell it, and on the other hand, on whether someone wants to buy it.
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