MiG-25

[sergeyl]

[shawn a]

Sergeyl,
I was lucky enough to get in a Mig-31 that got up to 70,000 ft. and mach 2.3 without a hiccup!
I would rather have done that in an F-15, or even an F-14, but American lawyers have made that impossible.
Great photos. You must have some kind of "access" to Russian air bases to get these quality shots that you put up.
I hear that Mig-25s are being put out of service by the Russian Air Force now.
You've got -31s to take up the duties of the -25, right?
How about an answer, instead of just putting up photos?
What do you think of these planes that you have such excellent photos of?
Shawn A.

[Webmaster]

Well, no answer, I just want to answer since there's been an unexpected development.

Recce only. The MiG-25P/PD interceptors were replaced by the MiG-31 a long time ago. For quite some time now, the number is reported to be just over 20 MiG-25RB versions. I think this would be including the few MiG-25RU two-seaters for training, possibly some are MiG-25RBSh/RBT. In 2012, it was reported only 5 to 7 in operational condition. I think only Voronezh-Baltimor is still flying them, but this article also says Monchegorsk.... The others have problems with their engines, with overhauls needed after 200 hours.

Now according to the article in AFM Nov 2012, they want to upgrade them to remain in service until 2020. Digital recce systems, GLONASS nav, and ELINT system. The RuAF lacks recce aircraft, the article mentions Il-20RT, MiG-25RB, Su-24MR and their aging equipment. It forgets to mention the Tu-22MR, recce kit added to the Tu-22M3. For ELINT, the Il-20M and A-50U. But ok, it's still rather limited, even taking into account the navy's recce and elint platforms and the army's UAVs. On the other hand, where's the dedicated recce aircraft of the other airforces... mostly gone. Su-30/34/35 just need recce pods and those Su-24MR can be retired. Doesn't Russia have satellite imagery? Didn't India retire the MiG-25R because its role was now taken over by sat. So I'd say keeping/upgrading the MiG-25RB is like the U-2 story, takes something like Global Hawk to replace it and Russia doesn't have such a platform yet. But with these R-15 engines, and need to replace all recce equipment, I don't get it, just retire it I'd say, or convert some MiG-31s.

[sergeyl]