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Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25

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The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (Russian: МиГ-25) (NATO reporting name "Foxbat") is a very high-speed interceptor and reconnaissance/bomber aircraft designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau. First flown as a prototype in 1964, it entered service in 1970. With a top speed of Mach 3.2 (although flying at this speed will cause serious damage to the aircraft), a powerful radar and four air-to-air missiles, the MiG-25 was rumored to have initially caused panic[citation needed] among Western observers and military analysts who responded with the F-15 Eagle. The aircraft's true capabilities were not discovered until 1976 when Viktor Belenko, a Soviet MiG-25 pilot, defected to Japan. Subsequent analysis revealed a simple-yet-functional design with vacuum-tube electronics, two massive turbojet engines, and sparing use of advanced materials such as titanium. This allowed for a production run of 1,190 aircraft.[3] The MiG-25 flew with a number of Soviet allies and former Soviet republics and it remains in limited service in Russia and several other nations.

Development

Ye-155K3 Reconnaissance prototype (1964)
File:MiG-25U-2 JNO.jpg
MiG-25PU two-seat trainer
Cameras of the MiG-25RB

The development of the MiG-25 began in the 1950s, paralleling American efforts to develop a Mach 3 bomber and interceptor aircraft, including the (ultimately abortive) XB-70 Valkyrie, the XF-103 Thunderwarrior, the Lockheed YF-12, and the XF-108 Rapier. With the first Mach 2 aircraft beginning to enter service, Mach 3 seemed like the next logical step. A variety of roles were considered, including cruise missile carriers, and even a small five- to seven-passenger supersonic transport, but the main impetus was a new high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and heavy interceptor. If a Mach 3 bomber were to enter American service, it would have been nearly invulnerable to Soviet air defense.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB accepted the assignment effective 10 March 1961. Although the XB-70 Valkyrie was cancelled before the new Soviet aircraft, which carried the bureau designation "Ye-155" (or "Е-155"), reached the prototype stage, it seemed that the Ye-155 would still be a useful addition to the PVO Strany air defense interceptor force for use against reconnaissance targets like the SR-71 Blackbird. It was widely believed that the MiG-25 was developed in response to the XB-70. However, A. Belyankov, head of the MiG design bureau, claimed that this was not in fact the case. [citation needed]

Because of the thermal stresses incurred in flight above Mach 2, the MiG-25 could not be constructed with traditional aluminum alloys. Lockheed had utilized titanium for their YF-12 and SR-71 series aircraft and North American used a honeycombed steel material for the XB-70. Both American companies struggled with the materials used to construct their respective aircraft. In the end, Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB decided the MiG-25 would largely be constructed of nickel alloy steel. The steel components of the MiG-25 were formed by a combination of spot-welding, automatic machine welding and hand arc welding methods. Initially there was concern that the metal welds would crack when the aircraft experienced the normal jolting of a landing. This did not prove to be the case, and any cracks that developed in service were easily welded in the field. A small amount of titanium and aluminum alloy were used in the construction of the MiG-25.

The first prototype, which was actually the reconnaissance variant, designated "Ye-155-R1" by the bureau, made its first flight on 6 March 1964. The prototype interceptor, "Ye-155-P1", took to the air on 9 September 1964. Development, which represented a major step forward in Soviet aerodynamics, engineering and metallurgy, took several more years to complete. In the meantime, several prototypes, under the cover designation "Ye-266" (or "Е-266"), made a series of record-setting flights in 1965, 1966, and 1967. Series production of the two initial variants, designated MiG-25P ('Foxbat-A') (interceptor) and MiG-25R ('Foxbat-B') (reconnaissance), began in 1969. The MiG-25R entered Soviet Air Force (VVS) service almost immediately, but the service entry of the MiG-25P with the PVO was delayed until 1972. A non-combat trainer variant was also developed for each version, the MiG-25PU ('Foxbat-C') and MiG-25RU, respectively. The MiG-25R evolved several subsequent derivatives, including the MiG-25RB reconnaissance-bomber, the MiG-25RBS and MiG-25RBSh with side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), the MiG-25RBK and MiG-25RBF ELINT aircraft ('Foxbat-D'), and the MiG-25BM ('Foxbat-F') SEAD variant, carrying four Raduga Kh-58 (NATO reporting name AS-11 'Kilter') anti-radiation missiles.

The MiG-25 was capable of high performance, including a maximum speed of Mach 3.0 and a ceiling of 90,000 ft (27,000 m), although a specially modified MiG-25 flew to an altitude of 123,524 ft (37,650 m) in 1977. Some believed that the MiG-25 was designed to intercept the SR-71 Blackbird and to deter, or at least threaten, other high-altitude, high-speed aircraft. However, its maneuverability, range, and close combat potential were extremely limited. Even its tremendous speed was problematic: although the available thrust was sufficient to reach Mach 3.2, a limit of Mach 2.8 had to be imposed to prevent total destruction of the engines [1]. Even Mach 2.8 was difficult to reach without overspeeding the turbines. [2]

Overall, the MiG-25 did not meet its design goals as an interceptor.[citation needed] Interception, to be successful, requires the interceptor to have 25% to 50% more speed and maneuverability than the intended target, plus reasonable endurance and range.[citation needed] The MiG-25 could not match the speed of the B-70 or SR-71, and once reaching their altitude, it could only maintain top speed for 10 minutes.[citation needed] These factors made a successful interception difficult.

Despite these limitations, inaccurate intelligence analysis and several false assumptions caused a panic in the West, where it was initially believed that the MiG-25 was actually an agile air-combat fighter rather than a stand-off interceptor. In response, the United States launched an ambitious new program, which resulted in the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle.

Description

A true understanding of the strengths and failings of the MiG-25 came in 1976. On 6 September, a PVO pilot, Lt. Viktor Belenko, defected to the West, landing his MiG-25P at Hakodate Airport in Japan. Although Belenko's aircraft was eventually returned to the USSR, it was first carefully dismantled and analyzed by the Foreign Technology Division (now the National Air and Space Intelligence Center) of the United States Air Force, at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. After 67 days, the aircraft was returned to the Soviets in pieces. The analysis showed some surprising facts:

  • Belenko's particular aircraft was brand new, representing the very latest Soviet technology.
  • The aircraft was assembled very quickly, and was essentially built around its massive Tumansky turbojets.
  • Welding was done by hand and construction was relatively crude. As in many Soviet aircraft, rivet heads were left exposed in areas that would not adversely affect aerodynamic drag.
  • The aircraft was built of a nickel-steel alloy and not titanium as was assumed (though some titanium was used in heat-critical areas). The steel construction contributed to the craft's massive 64,000 lb (29 ton) unarmed weight.
  • The majority of the on-board avionics were based on vacuum-tube technology, not solid-state electronics. Seemingly obsolete, the use of vacuum tubes was ingenious because they were far less susceptible to EMP in case of nuclear warfare and were more tolerant of temperature extremes, thereby removing the need for providing complex environmental controls inside the avionics bays. In addition, the vacuum tubes were easy to replace in remote northern airfields where sophisticated transistor parts may not have been readily available. As with all Soviet aircraft, the MiG-25 was designed to be as rugged as possible.
  • The airspeed indicator was redlined at Mach 2.8, and pilots were required not to exceed Mach 2.5 in order to extend the service life of the engines. In 1973 the Americans had witnessed a MiG-25 flying over Israel at Mach 3.2, but Belenko said that the flight had resulted in the total destruction of its engines.[citation needed]
  • Maximum acceleration (g-load) rating was just 2.2 g (21.6 m/s²) with full fuel tanks, with an absolute limit of 4.5 g (44.1 m/s²). One MiG-25 withstood an inadvertent 11.5 g (112.8 m/s²) pull during low-altitude dogfight training, but the resulting deformation made the airframe worthless.
  • Combat radius was 186 miles (300 km), and maximum range on internal fuel (at subsonic speeds) was only 744 miles (1,200 km). In fact, Belenko had only just made it to Japan without running out of fuel — without sufficient fuel for a carefully planned landing, he narrowly missed a commercial airliner taking off, and overran the available runway on landing.
  • Most MiG-25s used the KM-1 ejector seat; the last versions, though, used an early variant of the famous K-36 seat. The speed record for the fastest successful ejection (Mach 2.67) is held by a KM-1-equipped MiG-25.

When the existence of the MiG-25 became known to the West, it was alleged that the design was based on the North American A-5 Vigilante [citation needed]. Both aircraft have the same general layout (the A-5 was also initially designed with twin tailfins). Some claim the MiG-25 has its origins in the MiG-21, rather than the Vigilante, but it shares little with the much slower single-engine MiG-21.

As the result of Belenko's defection and the compromise of the MiG-25P's radar and missile systems, beginning in 1978 the Soviets developed an advanced version, the MiG-25PD ('Foxbat-E'), with a new RP-25 Sapfir look-down/shoot-down radar, infrared search and track (IRST) system, and more powerful engines. About 370 earlier MiG-25Ps were converted to this standard and redesignated MiG-25PDS.

About 1,190 MiG-25s were produced before production ended in 1984, and the type was exported to Algeria, Bulgaria (3 MiG-25R and 1 MiG-25RU until 1992), India (until 2006), Iraq, Libya, and Syria. Modest numbers remain in service.

Combat Service

An Iraqi MiG-25R Foxbat-B buried beneath the sands in Iraq

According to Gideon Remez and Isabella Ginor's book "Foxbats over Dimona" two MiG-25s performed a reconnaissance flyover over the Dimona nuclear facility prior to the Six Day War.

The Israelis shot down two Syrian MiG-25s in 1981, while some non-Western sources report that a MiG-25 downed an Israeli F-15 in 1981. Another Syrian MiG-25 was shot down by an Israeli HAWK SAM (surface-to-air missile) in 1982.

The MiG-25 was in service with the Iraqi Air Force during the Iran-Iraq War, but its combat results are unclear.

During the 1991 Gulf War, two MiG-25s were shot down by U.S. Air Force F-15Cs. After the war in 1992, a U.S. F-16 downed a MiG-25 that violated the no-fly zone in southern Iraq.

US military officials initially claimed that no American aircraft was lost in air-to-air combat during the war. However, later investigations indicated that a US Navy F/A-18 piloted by LCDR Speicher was shot down by an air-to-air missile on the first night of the war.[3] The kill was reportedly made with a R-40DT missile fired from a MiG-25PDS flown by Lt. Zuhair Dawood of the 84th squadron of the IrAF.[4]

In another incident, an Iraqi MiG-25PD, after eluding eight USAF F-15s, fired three missiles at EF-111 electronic warfare aircraft, forcing them to abort their mission.[5] This may have led to the later loss of an F-15 to surface-to-air missiles, due to the lack of electronic jamming.

In yet another incident, two MiG-25s approached a pair of F-15s, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then outran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of ten air-to-air missiles were fired at the MiG-25s, though none could reach them.[6]

According to the same sources, at least one F-111 was also forced to abort its mission by a MiG-25 on the first 24 hours of hostilities, during an air raid over Tikrit.[7]

On December 23, 2002, an Iraqi MiG-25 shot down a U.S. Air Force unmanned MQ-1 Predator drone, which was performing armed reconnaissance over Iraq. This was the first time in history that an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat. Predators had been armed with AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, and were being used to "bait" Iraqi fighter planes, then run. In this incident, the Predator did not run, but instead fired one of the Stingers, which missed, while the MiG's missile did not. [8]

No Iraqi aircraft were used in the 2003 invasion, with most hidden or destroyed on the ground. In August 2003, several dozen Iraqi aircraft were discovered buried in the sand. That included two MiG-25s which were carted off and sent to WPAFB's Foreign Technology Division using a C-5B Galaxy. In December 2006, it was announced that one MiG-25 was being donated to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton, Ohio. [4] Here showing its restoration.

Operators

Current operators of the MiG-25 in bright red and former operators in dark red

Current Operators

Former Operators

  •  Bulgaria: Three MiG-25RBT (#731, #736 and #754) and one MiG-25RU (#51) were delivered in 1982. On April 12 1984 #736 crashed near Balchik. The pilot ejected successfully. They were operated by 26th RAB at Dobrich until their withdrawal. In May 1991, the surviving MiG-25s were returned to the USSR in exchange for five MiG-23MLD.
  •  Azerbaijan: As many as 20 operated in the past, recently retired from service.
  •  India: Retired from service in July 2006.
  •  Iraq
  •  Kazakhstan
  •  Libya: Retired in late 2006
  •  Soviet Union: The largest operator historically, Soviet aircraft were passed on to its successor states in 1991.
  •  Turkmenistan

Specifications (MiG-25P 'Foxbat-A')

Data from The Great Book of Fighters [9]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One

Performance

  • Thrust/weight: 0.41
  • Time to altitude: 8.9 min to 20,000 m (65,615 ft)

Armament

Avionics

References

  1. ^ Mikoyan MiG-25 Foxbat http://aeroweb.lucia.it/~agretch/RAFAQ/MiG-25.html
  2. ^ Barron, John. MiG Pilot: The Final Escape of Lt. Belenko. Mcgraw-Hill, 1980. ISBN 0-380-53868-7
  3. ^ Miller, Mark. "Death of a Fighter Pilot." The New York Times 15 Sept. 1992: op-ed page. & Intelligence Community Assessment of the Lieutenant Commander Speicher Case. 27 March 2001. FOIA Electronic Reading Room. CIA. 10 Sept. 2006 <[1]>
  4. ^ Sadik, A., Zampini, D. "Tretij Den' (i posledujuschie...)" ["The Third Day (and beyond...)"]. Aviacija i vremja [Aviation and Time] No. 6 (2005).
  5. ^ Atkinson, Rick. Crusade: The Untold History of the Persian Gulf War. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993, pp 125-126. Quote: But as the Ravens began their second orbit in a counterclockwise turn toward the Syrian border (over Al-Qaim), a MiG-25 suddenly darted toward them at high speed. The Iraqi fired one air-to-air missile at the lead Raven and two at his wingman. The missiles flew wide, but the Ravens dived to escape and then, uncertain where the MiG was lurking, turned back to Saudi Arabia.
  6. ^ Atkinson, pp 230-231.
  7. ^ Atkinson, p 75.
  8. ^ Krane, Jim. "Pilotless Warriors Soar To Success." CBS News 25 April 2003.[2] & CBS Video of Shoot-Down
  9. ^ Green, W. & Swanborough, G. The Great Book of Fighters. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-1194-3

Related content

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25.

Related development Mikoyan MiG-31 Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era F-15 Eagle - XF-108 - CF-105 Arrow Related lists List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS - List of fighter aircraft

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