MiG-31BM/Κ Interceptor/Attack aircraft: News

medo wrote:For now Algeria order 14 additional Su-30MKA and 12 Su-32.

The Su-30MKA's order has been confirmed but not the one for Su-32/34. Up to now, they plan to order them but no firm order has been placed yet.

Just EPIC !!!

Mig-31 versus Granite

Granite is a very (no info given) missile.It remains the core of submarines and many battle cruisers.

I think that the granit that was tested was one of the earliest models. Granite has history from 1970's and it can be confirmed that granit series had huge amount EW and thermal jammers attached  to it.
Once again no info is given about the Granit technology which remains quite classified till today.
No mention in media or press of Granit specifics are given

We can say for sure(i donno) that this test was carried out by simply Granit propulsion unit. There was no electronic and therml countermeasures deployed by Granit.

This article does not tell which version of granit was used.This article is basically focused on MIG31 tactics when a land attack cruise missile is fired from sea.
This test was the first one which released information of Granit interception by MIG31.

The article basically describes the dynamics and air situation around the MIG31 platform and precisely not the actual target it self.
On the whole MIG31 is a classic interceptor .
One example is speed of Granit. Lot of media says it has 2.5 mach number.
But lets say it was teh first production model may be from 1980ies that had this speed .The new gen Granit may have speed well above that.

Even the flight trajectory of granit is not a straight line . It canfly high , medium and low and then evasive mauvre .

The distances given like 40 kms are also not very convincing.It could be larger than that.
We know for sure that "new generations" of granit have been tested and presently been deployed in some submarines.

The article mentioned how "hard" the Granit is, and that two missiles were needed to defeat the missile due to the level of frontal armour it has.

It is designed to be protected from 20mm DU rounds fired by Phalanx and HE rounds would be ineffective... note the tiny warhead of SEA RAM and even the 30mm shells of the Goalkeeper will likely be totally ineffective against this missile... but don't tell the west that...

GarryB wrote:The article mentioned how "hard" the Granit is, and that two missiles were needed to defeat the missile due to the level of frontal armour it has.

It is designed to be protected from 20mm DU rounds fired by Phalanx and HE rounds would be ineffective... note the tiny warhead of SEA RAM and even the 30mm shells of the Goalkeeper will likely be totally ineffective against this missile... but don't tell the west that...

I just made a quick back on the envelop calculation, and the Granit kinetic energy is on the same magnitude like the chemical warhead explosive power.

Se, even if the rocket hit the target in fragments the effect will be devastating.

This video reminds me how important is airplanes ground crew for the combat readiness. MIG 31 is really an excellent plane.

In 2016, the Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft Plant "Sokol" modernized 22 MiG-31

According to the October 13, 2016 Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov arrived on a working visit to the enterprises of the military-industrial complex (MIC) of Nizhny Novgorod. The first item was the visit of aircraft building plant "Sokol".

"With the plant" Sokol "The Ministry of Defence has a long-term contract for the repair, restoration to the extension of the resource MiG-31 to MiG-31BM level. Total contract involves restoring 113 machine, this year in the plans - 22 cars ", - said Yuri Borisov reporters on arrival at the company.

He noted that in December the last car of the party should go to the army. "As long as no disruptions No complaints about the plant also", - said the deputy minister.

Yuri Borisov particularly drew attention to the fact that the company managed to achieve the goal of import substitution at work on this fighter. "There is no dependence we do not have, no worries about it no more," - said the deputy head of the military department.

Yuri Borisov inspected the plant under the verification of the state defense order OPK enterprises.

Modernization of fighter-interceptor MiG-31 carried at PJSC "Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft building plant" Sokol "(NAZ "Sokol") under the two contracts with the Ministry of Defense of Russia - a contract dated 1 August 2011 on the modernization in the version of the MiG-31BM / BCM by 2019 of 60 combatant MiG-31, and an additional contract dated November 2014, in which, as is clear from the above statement by the Deputy Minister of defense of Russia Yury Borisov, should be modernized another 53 MiG-31, with the end of the work by the end of 2018.

In 2012, the NAZ "Sokol" in the framework of the contract in 2011 passed the 10 modernized MiG-31, in 2013 - five planes in 2014 - 16 aircraft, and in 2015 - 11 aircraft. Thus, 2016 will be marked by a significant increase in the rate of modernization of the MiG-31 in the NAZ "Sokol".

By the beginning of 2016, based on the MiG-31, passed on the modernization of NAZ "Sokol" on earlier agreements until 2012, as well as aircraft, modernized by JSC "514 Aircraft Repair Plant" in Rzhev, the total number of standard modernized MiG 31BM / BSM, set in 2007, the air force (FSI) of Russia has reached, according to available information, 73 units (one of which was lost 4 September 2014).

It should be noted that, according to available data, in the framework of the contract in 2014 JSC "514 Aircraft Repair Plant" Rzhev and upgrades for at least five MiG-31 (two of which have been modernized in 2015). Thus, only by now planning to upgrade to a total of 150 MiG-31.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2180951.html

The long range interceptors in Syria:

http://alert5.com/2016/11/15/mig-31-appears-at-hmeymim-air-base-syria/

Giulio wrote:The long range interceptors in Syria:

http://alert5.com/2016/11/15/mig-31-appears-at-hmeymim-air-base-syria/

On the picture it is not MiG-31BM, but standard old MiG-31 with big under wing pylons.

Three modernized MiG-31BM entered the 22th Fighter Aviation Regiment. 97 units modernized at the beginning of 2017.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2296412.html

This program is worthy for the fantastic scenes (including external) of the MiG-31BM flying at more than 20 km, but has some very wild claims, like that it can destroy targets at near orbit. With what? R-33 surely doesn't have this capability, and I doubt R-37M will have when it finally becomes operational.

AFAIK the R-37M entered production and is in service already.

The talk about hitting targets in low orbit is interesting... the ISS is in low earth orbit at about 350km altitude, but something in 100km low earth orbit should be reachable by a 300km range AAM in theory.

Also with the ABM treaty gone then the equivalent agreements on anti satellite weapons become void so they could have reactivated the anti satellite weapon developed for the MiG-31D.

An S-500 adapted to be launched from a zoom climbing MiG-31 would be a very interesting system... for launching satellites and for knocking them down.

Svyatoslavich wrote:This program is worthy for the fantastic scenes (including external) of the MiG-31BM flying at more than 20 km, but has some very wild claims, like that it can destroy targets at near orbit. With what? R-33 surely doesn't have this capability, and I doubt R-37M will have when it finally becomes operational.

They developed a satellite killer for two special modified Mig-31D (code 071 and 072 Blue). A 79m6 missile was used. So that's really true! I don't know if they stopped the program or not, finally!?

Worth reading...
"Mig-31 Interceptor" written by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov

Azi wrote:
They developed a satellite killer for two special modified Mig-31D (code 071 and 072 Blue). A 79m6 missile was used. So that's really true! I don't know if they stopped the program or not, finally!?

Worth reading...
"Mig-31 Interceptor" written by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov

Yes, I know about the MiG-31D program (also read some books by Gordon, including the one about the MiG-31), but it was cancelled long ago, in the early 90's. We can be quite sure that there is no Russian (or from any other country for that matter) airplane-launched ASAT missile in operation today.

But can we?

With the S-500 they will have a missile able to shoot down ICBMs... but also able to shoot down satellites which in many ways are just the same thing.

When the US withdrew from the ABM treaty and China started shooting down satellites I would think Russia had a look at its old programmes and new programmes and has restarted or created new programmes for that sort of role.

A MiG-31 launched S-500 would be vastly superior in performance to a ground based S-500 missile... launched from mid air it no longer has to fly through the thickest part of the atmosphere and it already moving at at least supersonic speed... which means when it fires up its rocket motor it is already moving fast and most of the way through the most difficult part of its journey so it will have plenty of energy to spend in speed and range.

They are restarting production of the Tu-160 with new materials and design... an interceptor version could be made... a space launch version could be made... that space launch model could be assigned an anti satellite role as a military mission rather easily...

A blackjack size aircraft could launch an enormous rocket...

Far Eastern MiG-31 exercises

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2501988.html

Six more upgraded Mig-31BSM's arrive at Perm.

The biggest advantage that a MiG-31/Tu-160 launched ASAT missile has over any land-based system is the ability to rapidly place the missile in the optimum position to engage an orbital target, ie locate the firing platform under the targets orbital track. The kinetic potential of the misisle is maximised and its operational envelope is optimised, allowing it to effectively reach higher orbits.

it also means that hostile payloads orbiting over Russian airspace is ALWAYS at risk from attack, and not just when passing nearby known land-based missile defense bases, and this greatly complicates the operating scenarios of the enemy side.

Indeed a Tu-160P model could launch an anti sat missile from anywhere within and just outside Russian borders in many places.

The ground based S-500 system will be highly mobile too...

And of course there will be naval versions of S-500...

The withdrawal from the ABM treaty by the US is very short sighted and will lead to a situation they had not planned on.

A MiG-31 military plane has crashed in the Russian Republic of Buryatia, western Siberia. Both pilots managed to eject, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that their lives are not in danger.

The incident happened as the jet was conducting a training flight over the Telemba Airfield. A helicopter has been dispatched as part of the search and rescue operation.

“The plane crashed in a deserted place. Both pilots ejected. The pilots have been recovered quickly, there is no danger to their lives,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement, as quoted by RIA Novosti.

https://www.rt.com/news/386174-mig-31-crash-siberia/

Three more modernized MiG-31BM entered the 22nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment



According to publications on the web resources of russianplanes.net and forums.airforce.ru, at the end of April 2017, the 22nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 303rd Guards Mixed Air Division of the 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army of the Eastern Military District at the Central airfield Corner of the Primorsky Territory received another three modernized interceptor MiG-31BM fighter jets with blue airborne numbers "59", "66" and "67", modernized at the Nizhny Novgorod aircraft factory "Sokol" (NAZ "Sokol", branch of JSC "DGC" Moment"). The planes made an independent flight from Nizhny Novgorod.

Earlier, the 22nd Aviation Regiment received 14 modernized MiG-31 fighters, which also underwent modernization at the NAZ Sokol. The first three modernized MiG-31BSMs with blue onboard numbers "94", "95" and "96" arrived in the regiment in December 2015, two more modernized MiG-31BMs with blue onboard numbers "97" and "98" - in March 2016, three more MiG-31BMs with blue airborne numbers "82", "83" and "99" - in November 2016, and six MiG-31BMs with blue onboard numbers "60", "62", "68 "," 69 "," 80 "and" 81 "- in early 2017 (these aircraft were upgraded to the NAZ" Sokol under the 2016 program).

As part of the 22nd regiment, MiG-31 fighters (previously there were 14 vehicles replaced with upgraded MiG-31BM/BSM from 2015) are equipped with one air squadron (another squadron is equipped with Su-27SM and Su-30M2 fighters, and another squadron in 2016 was re-equipped with new Su-35S and Su-30SM fighters in exchange for Su-27SM, transferred to Crimea in 2014).

Bringing the number of modernized MiG-31BM / BMS fighters to the 22nd aviation regiment to 17 units confirms earlier information about plans to deploy on the basis of this regiment, as part of the 303rd Guards Mixed Air Division, another fighter regiment of a two-squadron, fully equipped with MiG fighters -31BM/BMS. Presumably, the new regiment will be based on the airfield Sokolovka Primorsky Territory.

Modernization of MiG-31 interceptor fighters is carried out by Sokol under two contracts with the Ministry of Defense of Russia - a contract dated August 1, 2011 for upgrading 60 combat MiG-31 to MiG-31BM/BSM by 2019, and an additional contract from November 2014, for which another 53 combat MiG-31 fighters should be modernized, with the end of works by the end of 2018.

In 2012, NAZ "Sokol" under the contract of 2011 handed over 10 modernized MiG-31 interceptors, in 2013 - five aircraft, in 2014 - 16 aircraft, in 2015 - 11 aircraft, and in 2016, as stated, according to the plan was to be handed over to 22 aircraft.

In total, thus, to date, taking into account the MiG-31 aircraft, upgraded to NAZ Sokol under earlier contracts until 2012, and aircraft upgraded to the 514 aircraft repair plant in Rzhev, the total number of mass-modernized MiGs -31BM/BSM delivered since 2007 in the Air Force (VCS) of Russia should reach, according to available information, at least 102 units (one of which has already been lost).

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2661218.html

This last information is a bit confusing

MiG-31BM (BSM) 2016 Sokol planing: 22 aircraft
764 IAP: 6 aircraft Nº 01, 03, 10, 14, 20, 27
22 IAP: 16 aircraft Nº 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 80, 81, 82, 83, 97, 98, 99
(Only photo Nº66 is unkonow for now)

MiG-31BM(BSM) 2015 Sokol planing: 11 aircraft
Savaslayka: 8 aircraft Nº 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88
22 IAP : 3 aircraft Nº 94, 95, 96

Also, just repaired ARZ 514 in 2015 and handed over 22 IAP:
MiG-31BS: Nº 90, 91, 92, 93
MiG-31DZ: Nº 88, 89
Total 22 IAP: 25 aircraft (19 modernized and 6 not modernized)

In addition the first airplanes of 2017 planing are already finished at MiG-Sokol (Nizhny Novgorod) Nº 56 , 57 , 58 , also for delivery at 22 IAP , reaching 22 BM's


The informations are that they want to reopen the old 530 IAP, probably at the base of Sokolovka-Chuguyevka again, which is actually still used by the 22 IAP in military exercises (LINK: iz.ru/news/657234)
VVS wants to return to the old system of regiments / divisions and to do so, it will have to reopen some of the bases closed in 2009-2010, Khotilovo probably will be also dislocated in two regiments
All the planes for the moment are BSM (without refuelling), it seems that they are all for the 22 IAP and not for another base like Yelizovo or the announced at Tiksi that need refueling and would be of Navy


If you look in google just now in the Chuguyevka airbase, you can see a image with Sukhois and Mig-31 using this airbase,probably during drills last year or this

google.com/maps/place/44%C2%B005'00.0%22N+133%C2%B052'06.0%22E/@44.0865479,133.8702992,191m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d44.083333!4d133.868333?hl=en
(sorry cannot insert complete links in the first week)


About 22 IAP , today there are a lot of Mig-31 included the not modorenized BS/DZ that stopped to fly when the new planes arrived, in google you can count about 35 Mig-31 in a recent image
ALso there are near 20 Sukhois
In theory there are "one squadron of SU-35 and other of Su-27SM"
In fact there are about 11 SU-35 (one unkonow for the moment) , about 4-5 Su-27SM and 4 Su-30SM. Other 2-3 Su-27SM must be in repair plants, not seen in flight in a long time
Other SU-27SM previously of 22 IAP were transferred to 38 IAP(6), 790 IAP(7) , 159 IAP(1) and Akhtubinsk(2). Also one Su-27SM lost in 2011
A Sukhoi regiment could receive a second squadron of Su-35. Or wait after 2020 for that, and rearm now the squadron of Su-27SM recovering repaired aircraft from ARZ´s and Akthubinsk, about 10-11 planes

google.com/maps/@43.3581139,132.0629906,1088m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

Have been watching these bases myself. Unfortunately the google images are almost a year apart so impossible to get an accurate count.
The 22nd Fighter base is the most up to date one from April of this year. However on the other hand, pictures a month apart last year, shows the 22nd base with even more planes (57) then it has in the latest photos (52).
I have heard that Chuguyevka will become a separate Mig-31 fighter base again but have also heard that the 22nd was to become a Fighter Regiment with a squadron each of -31BM, -35 and -30SM's. Time will soon tell.