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

Hole wrote:

Looks like it impacted right in front of the building, it would of been nice to see it impact through the roof.

So, curious about the impact velocity of the Kinzhal in that recent video, I decided to measure it, and, although there are a lot of unknowns in this scenario, the results seem kind of underwhelming.




Ballpark numbers, here, but the average building story is 2.5 metres, the video is shot in 24fps, the missile moves approximately 15 metres in 1 frame. (15x24) metres in a second, 360m/s. Speed of sound is ~340m/s.
It's just barely supersonic in terminal phase.

If we assume it was flying some kind of oblique angle away from the camera, say, 45 degrees, then that 15m becomes becomes sqrt(2(15^2)), or ~21m, for a total of ~500m/s

EDIT:
- Given the nature of the still frame with zero references, it is entirely possible that the speed of the video was slowed down to some arbitrary point up until the first frame of impact, then played back at normal speed to capture the realistic smoke propagation. But that seems like an odd loop to jump through.

What matter is the speed in the interception zone of enemy AD systems.

The more it travels inside the atmosphere the more it looses speed. So the minimal speed will be at impact.

But your number should be wrong. I've such video of harpoon that are almost mach 1 missiles and you can clearly see the missile. In this video you see nothing but the impact.

Keep in mind that speed is an important factor so they probably have made some changes on the video before posting it. Russians are good at it.

Dont trust them showing actual explosions of the missiles they show. I have frequently seen them use video of alternatives. For example one of the classic ones is showing this iskander but using the kh-35 impact j
Instead. Also seen the same examples with kh-101 missiles. Remember even video of these advanced missiles impacting targets is most likely extremely classified as important data can be drawn just as you showed

Anyways as I said the thing is hypersonic and the momentum it carries means it stays hypersonic/high supersonic on impact. Same with zircon. It ejects the scramjet intake before it dives on target but it is sti hypersonic as it hits a target.

So what is the west worried about then... they could have soldiers standing on the decks of their carriers with Stingers to shoot down Zircons if that is the case...

Most anti-ballistic missile systems have dead zones of a few km when the interceptor is in its boost phase and could do minimal course corrections. When the missile enters that dead zone while its just supersonic it doesn't really matter. Also some Iskanders are to be fitted with conventional bunker busting warheads which has to stay rigid during penetration. They can't be super fast or the impact would crush the warhead before it reaches the target depth.

An unknown version of the MiG-31 will be shown at the Victory Parade, 03.05.2022.

The list of aircraft participating in the Victory Parade over Red Square on May 9 includes four MiG-31Is. The novelty may turn out to be a "space" modification of a high-altitude fighter-interceptor.

The flight plan of the MiG-31I was published by the RF Ministry of Defense and its official newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda . The four interceptors make up group No. 11 of the air parade.

It can be assumed that this is a modification of the MiG-31I Ishim, designed to launch small satellites into orbit and based on the anti-satellite version of the MiG-31D.

In 1997, the Mikoyan Design Bureau began developing a system for launching spacecraft into low Earth orbit using a modified MiG-31 high-altitude interceptor. The three-stage launch vehicle was planned to be launched from the anti-satellite version of the MiG-31D, flying at an altitude of 17 kilometers at a speed of 3,000 km/h. A massive launch vehicle is suspended between the engine nacelles - like the anti-satellite 79M6 "Contact". Both missiles were created in the Design Bureau "Vympel".

The complex was named MiG-31I "Ishim". It allows launching vehicles weighing up to 160 kilograms into an orbit with a height of 600 km.

https://rg.ru/2022/04/29/reg-cfo/na-parade-pobedy-pokazhut-neizvestnuiu-versiiu-mig-31.html

Maybe just a mistake, this info graphic shows the customary K version:

http://redstar.ru/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/inf1-04-2022-08-05.jpg

I could be wrong but some time ago it was mentioned that the MiG-31I is capable of launching Kinzhal and ASAT/sat carrier missiles.

Hole wrote:I could be wrong but some time ago it was mentioned that the MiG-31I is capable of launching Kinzhal and ASAT/sat carrier missiles.

Is it ? For me it was always two different aircraft that can't use both missiles.

It was mentioned during the strategic war games a few month ago by one of the members here. There were Putin and Shoigu looking at some screen were a few MiG-31I or K could be seen (as grafic).

What are the odds that MiG-31M Super Foxhound is constructed in small numbers to test MiG-41 components on it?

LMFS wrote:Maybe just a mistake, this info graphic shows the customary K version:

http://redstar.ru/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/inf1-04-2022-08-05.jpg

Where do you see K version on this sheet?  I can only see regular, BM and I version.

Is it ? For me it was always two different aircraft that can't use both missiles.

It wouldn't make a lot of sense to use two different aircraft for fundamentally the same job... ie long range communications systems to receive target data, and the ability to fly high and fast with a heavy payload under its belly.

Whether it is Kinzhal or an anti satellite weapon both would benefit from getting the the highest flight speed for launch and the highest altitude too... both are carried under the belly of the aircraft... neither aircraft could possibly spot their targets with their own radar... the ship target 2,000km away would be hidden by the curve of the earth and for a satellite target its speed means when the weapon is launched the target might be thousands and thousands of kms away too and as a satellite target it might be tiny.

What are the odds that MiG-31M Super Foxhound is constructed in small numbers to test MiG-41 components on it?

Likely quite low in the sense that the MiG-31M that was created would now be totally out of date... the R-37M missile already has a replacement on its way called object 815 or something, and pretty much most of the design will be modified with perhaps transitional engines and equipment... maybe even test wing mounted long wave radar, a very much upgraded IIR system, and perhaps even a new generation radar set.

It will very much be like the difference between the Su-27M which was called Su-35 at the time, but has very little to do with the actual Su-35 developed rather later will all new systems and equipment and engines etc etc.

They will likely build a transitional aircraft even just to test new technology for the next aircraft that can be installed on the current MiG-31 fleet as an upgrade and nation wide test, but the MiG-41 will get the good stuff probably with a complete revision of the airframe shape and design.

https://www.aviaport.ru/digest/2022/02/17/709863.html

The new regiment of MiG-31K missile carriers began to carry out combat training tasks

The first air regiment equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles was included in the long-range aviation.

It was placed at the Savasleyka airfield in the Nizhny Novgorod region, sources in the Ministry of Defense told Izvestia.
Until the end of 2022, the regiment is planned to be equipped with additional MiG-31K missile carriers.
Experts note that "Daggers" will be used to defeat the most important, best-protected targets, since the attack with these weapons cannot yet be repelled.

A new separate regiment of MiG-31Ks equipped with Kinzhal missiles was deployed at the Savasleyka airfield in the Nizhny Novgorod region and subordinated to the Long-Range Aviation Command, Defense Ministry sources told Izvestia.

At the end of last year, the MiG-31K squadron from the 929th Main Flight Test Center was transferred to the unit. By the end of December, the new air regiment is planned to be replenished with several new missile carriers received from industry, the sources added.

In January 2022, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the creation in Russia of the first separate regiment with MiG-31K aircraft equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles


Victory Parade 2022:  MiG-31I(K) Nº 30 , 35 , 37 , 39 blue




Nº37 blue RF-92463 with the coat of arms of the Russian Long Range Aviation

I think that MiG should work on yet another upgrade of the MiG-31BM.
There is a high possibility that the PAK DP will take a long time to mature. Possibly 15 years or more.
The MiG-31BM is a significant upgrade over the older make, but more modern technology means there is high chance of further improvements to the type. And these improvements could then be used as basis for PAK DP platform. For example they could use the PAK FA avionics computer, which has much more processing power, on a new upgrade. This computer also has the capability to better classify targets with artificial intelligence reducing the load of the weapons operator. The radar could be replaced with more modern GaN radar. The MiG-31 platform has the characteristics of having huge power output and large radome. Which mean it is highly suitable as not only an air defense platform interceptor but also as a main sensor node in the air defense network.

I agree, even when MiG-41s are ready the MiG-31s will still be useful for a range of roles and continuing to upgrade them will get new technology intended for teh MiG-41 into service and use quicker so bugs can be found and sorted out and of course improvements are made to the in service aircraft protecting Russia.

The Su-35 was useful to help speed up development of the Su-57, so I would think a MiG-31 upgrade would be useful for further development of the MiG-31.

I agree with you two gentlemen. The MiG-31 is a very important aircraft and giving them 5th+ gen avionics upgrades along with modernized or even newer engines would be very ideal. As Garry said, this could greatly reduce overall time to test out the equipment for the MiG-41.

Now I am unsure what is currently planned and being put in place with current MiG-31's as the authorities are less than willing to give full information compared to lets say the Su-35. But it would be a good idea none the less to do what you guys suggested. There is still plenty this war bird is capable of doing.

I don't know how you'd re-engine such a plane. You could probably modernize the current engine. Maybe if they design a new engine for the Mig 41, it could be put in the 31's.

MiG-41 aka PAK DP is going to have an engine based on Izd. 30 core. No one knows exact specifications. But you won't see it enter service before Izd. 30 that is certain. And likely will take at least 3-5 years after it.

Russia has experience with upgrades of several engines as of late, NK-32, NK-25, etc, so it might be possible to upgrade the MiG-31 engine type.

08/30/2022
Izvestia.ru

MiG victory: super-high-altitude interceptors will teach how to search for hypersonic targets

The crews of the MiG-31BM began to train in the detection of warheads at high altitude




Russian super-high-altitude interceptors will teach how to search for hypersonic targets. MiG-31BM pilots are already training to find such objects at altitudes above 10,000 meters. Despite the fact that no one except Russia has hypersonic weapons yet, we need to learn how to counteract it now, and these aircraft are optimal for such a task, experts say . If the MiG-31 learns to search for hypersonic targets and detect them in a timely manner, this will radically strengthen Russia's defense against promising threats.

See from above

The flight crew began to work out the search for and destruction of hypersonic targets, sources in the military department told Izvestia. In particular, the crews have already conducted exercises with the development of this standard. During the maneuvers, the pilots successfully located a high-speed target at an altitude of 16,000 meters.
Last year, the MiG-31BM for the first time conducted exercises to intercept hypersonic weapons and their carriers. The fighter crews of the Pacific Fleet operated in the stratosphere in the region of the Arctic Circle. As Izvestia reported, they intercepted a target simulating a bomber with hypersonic missiles. Fighters attacked from a height of almost 20 thousand meters and at a speed 2.5 times the speed of sound. The target was hit at a distance of hundreds of kilometers. Starting this year, it was decided to conduct training sessions to destroy hypersonic objects regularly, sources told Izvestia.
“Modern rockets travel at very high speeds, two to three times the speed of sound,” merited test pilot Igor Malikov told Izvestia. “The ability to destroy them is more relevant than ever. In addition, today everyone who can is trying to create hypersonic weapons. Russian crews need to have the skills to intercept such targets. The MiG-31BM is ideal for this kind of task. This is one of the most versatile, fastest and most sought after aircraft in such situations. Potentially, they can shoot down targets that many other fighters cannot destroy. This is a very promising plane.

Old and reliable

The MiG-31, the first fourth-generation Soviet fighter developed on the basis of the MiG-25, first took to the air in 1975, and was put into service in 1981. It was originally designed as an interceptor for cruise and ballistic missiles and other complex targets. In terms of speed, range and flight altitude, this aircraft has no equal. It can climb more than 20 km, reach speeds of up to 3,000 km/h and cover a distance of 3,000 km. Various modifications of the MiG-31 were repeatedly used as carriers of advanced weapons systems.
Ten years ago, the military department questioned the expediency of having the MiG-31 in the Russian Aerospace Forces. However, in the end, it was decided not to abandon this unique aircraft. Some of the sides were modified, and they became carriers of hypersonic ammunition. The rest will be upgraded to the level of the MiG-31BM - these works are planned to be completed by next year. During the modernization, the service life of the aircraft is extended until the mid-2030s, and combat effectiveness is significantly increased. In particular, new on-board equipment is being installed on the MiG-31BM, as well as the Zaslon-M radar. It allows you to detect targets more than 300 km away, track up to ten objects at the same time and fire at six of them.

The onboard systems of the MiG-31BM are integrated with other aircraft and ground control points. The crew can receive data from ground-based radars and automated control systems. Since last year, the MiG-31BM began to work out maneuvers to intercept targets - ballistic missile simulators. The arsenal of these machines has been replenished with new R-74M missiles capable of destroying various types of targets - cruise missiles and drones. Their launch range is 40 km.

Machines of the MiG-31 family have shown their reliability in the Arctic. Therefore, when Russia began to restore military infrastructure in the region, it was MiG-31BM aircraft that took up combat duty at island and mainland airfields in the Arctic. They are on duty along the Northern Sea Route on a rotational basis.

Hypersonic for interceptor

Modifications of the MiG-31 can not only detect hypersonic weapons, but also independently use them in combat. Earlier, Izvestia reported that the military department had decided on the main carrier of the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. They will be the MiG-31I aircraft. The first prototypes have already been tested; at the beginning of this year they participated in the maneuvers of the strategic forces. Then the planes hit a sea target and a ground facility at the Pemboi training ground with hypersonic missiles. The main difference between the MiG-31I and the previous version of the "K", from which the "Kinzhals" are now used, is the presence of a special fly-by-wire control system that improves the flight characteristics and capabilities of the aircraft. The first prototypes of the MiG-31I have already been tested. In particular, they participated in the maneuvers of the strategic forces that took place at the beginning of this year.

In August, the Ministry of Defense reported that as part of the strategic deterrence, three aircraft with supersonic Kinzhal missiles were relocated to the Chkalovsk airfield in the Kaliningrad region. During the flight, issues of interaction with the fighter aircraft of the 6th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense and the naval aviation of the Baltic Fleet were worked out, the department noted.

On August 21, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the armed forces used the "Kinzhal" three times during a military operation on the territory of Ukraine. According to the minister, all three times the complex confirmed its brilliant characteristics. According to the defense department, they were used to destroy the underground command post of the AFU, the destruction of the underground ammunition depot and fuel storage.

https://vpk.name/news/626901_mig_pobedy_sverhvysotnye_perehvatchiki_nauchat_iskat_giperzvukovye_celi.html

What cant the mig-31 do? It is so rad. Mighty, no nonsense, and artlessly noble. The high soaring and fast flying slinger of long range death. Only other fighter that compares to it is the F-14. America's pride and joy.

I always wondered if old cold war ruskie pilots and aviation geeks admired the F-14 like we did the mig-25/mig-31.