The prototype of the long-range high-altitude fighter-interceptor MiG-31 - E-155MP (board "831"), which first took off on September 16, 1975, received all the constructive and conceptual "roots" of the widely known and unique in its kind 3-fly fighter-interceptor MiG - 25PD. "Put on the wing" by the recognized pilot-ace of the USSR Alexander Vasilyevich Fedotov, the MiG-31 embodied all the best flight and technical qualities of its ancestor, the MiG-25, and also received a modernization base, which allowed it to be ranked among the 4th in the near future. generation of tactical aviation, and then to the category of the most advanced heavy interceptors of the 20th and 21st centuries. This magnificent machine was created in the midst of the Cold War, when the northern borders of Soviet airspace were continually violated by American strategic reconnaissance aircraft SR-71A "Blackbird", and strategic cruise missiles RGM / UGM entered service with surface ships and submarines of the US Navy. -109A / B / C Block I / II / IIA "Tomahawk". MiG-25PD / PDM, with their outdated Smerch-2A and Sapfir-25 airborne radars, could no longer implement early warning and interception of small Tomahawks; also, lagged behind Western designs, the beginning and missile armament of the MiG-25PD. The R-40R and R-40T air-to-air missiles had a maximum target speed of about 835 m / s, which was absolutely not enough to intercept the SR-71A Blackbird even at short distances. The standard operating speed of the latter usually approached 900 m / s.
The first serial modification of the MiG-31 was fully prepared for this. For the first time in the Soviet practice of military aircraft construction, an onboard radar station with a passive phased antenna array RP-31 N007 "Zaslon" was installed on a machine of this class. Targets with RCS of 2 m2 were detected at a distance of 120-140 km. In addition, the "Zaslon" is capable of simultaneously capturing 4 air targets and firing at them with high-speed 4.5-fly R-33 missiles. The capabilities of this missile in the fight against long-range high-speed maneuvering targets have increased by about 5-6 times in comparison with the R-40R. So, the G-limit of target overload for the R-33 is 8 units. (for the R-40R - only 2, 5-3 units), plus everything - the flight range increased from 60 to 120 and more kilometers. In view of equipping the MiG-31 with a network-centric complex for the exchange of tactical information about the air situation APD-518 (allows data exchange with other MiG-31s, MiG-29 and Su-27 family machines, as well as A-50 AWACS aircraft at a distance of 200 km), the cockpit received a co-pilot-operator of the systems. Later, a more advanced modification of the MiG-31B appeared.
The MiG-31B multipurpose interceptor fighter began to be developed around 1985. The main requirement for the updated vehicle was an increase in range characteristics, as well as the modernization of the element base of the Zaslon radar. The implementation of the last point was facilitated by the incident with the agent of the Western special services, Adolf Tolkachev, who handed over technical documentation for both the MiG-31 and the MiG-29A to Western European and overseas "friends". The first point (increasing the range) was due to the need for long-range patrolling of the airspace of the Arctic region, as well as escorting anti-submarine aircraft of naval aviation. MiG-31, retrofitted with a refueling bar in the air, received the name "Product 01D3". There were also transitional versions of the MiG-31BS ("product 01BS"): only the avionics were modernized here, but the refueling bar was not installed.
The final serial modification was the MiG-31B ("Product 01B"). This machine received a full package of updates used in the 01D3 and 01BS modifications. In addition to the L-shaped refueling bar, the interceptor received an improved Zaslon-A radar with identical energy performance, but higher noise immunity and computing facilities. Serial production of these machines began at the end of the 90th year.
Traditionally, multipurpose heavy fighter-interceptors of the MiG-31 family are usually compared with the American carrier-based fighter interceptors F-14A "Tomcat" and F-14D "Super Tomcat". The bully cats, which entered service in 1974, have the most similar combat characteristics with our Foxhound, including the range of AN / AWG-9 and AN / APG-71 airborne radars and the range of AIM air-to-air missiles. -54B / C "Phoenix". But the combat career of "Tomkats", in connection with the arrival of more modern "Super Hornets" and the stupidity of the command of the US Navy, was completed on September 22, 2006 - the fleet lost the fastest multipurpose deck vehicle in history, replacing it with slow F-35B / C and F / A-18E / F, opting for greater agility and ease of maintenance. And therefore, it is not entirely logical to make a comparison today.
More relevant may be a comparison of the scarce MiG-31B / BM family with the American F-22A "Raptor". Many may speak far not in favor of this comparison, since the machines are completely different in purpose, but there is no doubt that some characteristics and features of combat use unite them.
Designed to replace the 4th generation F-15C "Eagle" air superiority fighters, as well as the more feature-rich tactical fighters of the "4 ++" generation F-15E "Strike Eagle", the F-22A was blessed with the most advanced year by the design features of the airframe in terms of reducing the radar signature, the best in terms of thrust-to-weight ratio of the Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 TRDDF with the OVT mode, as well as the most advanced avionics. Being the first tactical carrier of the AN / APG-77 airborne radar with active HEADLIGHTS in the US Air Force, the Raptor, although not ahead of the MiG-31 in terms of equipping with modern HEADLIGHTS radars, received the best-of-its-kind radar, which for more than 10 years, according to TTX, firmly holds positions between the station N036 "Belka" (installed on the T-50 PAK FA) and N011M "Bars", known in the armament of the su-30SM super-maneuverable multipurpose fighters. More often, the F-22A is compared with such advanced transitional generation aircraft as the Su-35S, or the stealthy 5th generation T-50 PAK FA fighter, but the emphasis in these machines is placed on the versatility of the tasks performed, which include gaining air superiority. and breakthrough enemy air defense or strike missions.
The Raptor, on the other hand, is more often used as an aviation complex for air supremacy. So, in over the territory of Syria, the Americans use this machine to protect the friendly forces of the so-called "moderate opposition", and during the air operation "Odyssey. Dawn "F-22A were usually used for reconnaissance purposes and to provide a no-fly zone in Libyan airspace. The first baptism of fire of the Raptor took place in a Syrian company, where machines of this type were first used to deliver pinpoint strikes against ISIS infrastructure in Syria. The most widespread air-to-ground weapons adapted for the Raptor continue to be guided bombs of the GBU-32 JDAM type and small-sized so-called “narrow bombs” of the GBU-39 SDB and GBU-53 / B SDB-II class. The latest versions of SDB ("Small Diameter Bomb") have the highest accuracy (CEP up to 5 m) and low radar signature of 0.01 m2, due to which a breakthrough in the air defense of even more or less modern air defense systems of the Buk-M1 or C type can be achieved -300PS with accurate defeat of the covered target. But this weapon, integrated into the Raptor SUV, cannot make the F-22A a worthy strike aviation complex of the 21st century.
First, the range of these UAVs usually does not exceed 120 km when launched from an altitude of 10-12 km. Secondly, the bombs approach the target at a low transonic speed, which does not create absolutely any difficulties for interception by the most advanced military air defense systems of the Tor-M2E, Pantsir-S1 type and long-range air defense systems of the S-300PM1, S-300V4 and S types. -400 Triumph. At the same time, we have not heard information about the development of specialized versions of AGM-88 HARM PRLR with folding rudders, AGM-84H SLAM-ER tactical missiles and other advanced WTO for the Raptor. For this reason, we conclude: the purpose of the F-22A will continue to be the fight against long-range and close air enemies.
While over the course of 15 years, the F-22A gradually went through various preparatory technological stages and approached the acquisition of initial combat readiness, our MiG-31B did not stand still. Mikoyanovtsy, using technological developments previously prepared for implementation in the modification of the MiG-31M, in 1997 began to develop another, more inexpensive version of the machine - the MiG-31BM, which today quite rightly belongs to the "4+" generation. Let me remind you that the first crown of the joint engineering idea of OKB "MiG", OKB-19 im. P. A. Solovyov and NPO Leninets, MiG-31M, never entered service with the Russian Air Force in the early 90s due to the lack of appropriate appropriations from the Russian leadership in connection with the economic crisis in the country, which erupted during restructuring.
The machine was supposed to receive a promising onboard radar with PFAR "Zaslon-M" with increased energy potential, as well as throughput and target channel (24 tracked targets and 6 captured). The detection range of typical targets was exactly 2 times greater than that of the first version of the Zaslon (400 km versus 200 km). Due to the installation of a more advanced avionics (new airborne radar and electronic warfare containers at the wingtips), as well as an increase in the capacity of the fuel system by 1500 liters, the empty mass of the MiG-31M was 2355 kg (11%) more than that of the early MiG-31. and therefore the new car received 2.4 m2 larger wing area, as well as aerodynamic slugs at the wing root in order to compensate for the loss of stability that appeared after the increase in the central fuel tank in the MiG-31M gargrot. The number of MiG-31 suspension points increased from 8 to 10, and the mass of the combat load from 7560 to 10000 kg.
The updated Zaslon-M radar made it possible to use the R-33S and R-37 air-to-air guided missiles in ultra-long-range air combat to intercept small hypersonic (including aeroballistic) air attack weapons, as well as medium / long-range air combat missiles family RVV-AE / -PD (R-77) for the destruction of highly maneuverable aerodynamic targets, anti-aircraft, cruise and other aircraft missiles. The high combat qualities of the vehicle were demonstrated in 1994, when one of the 6 remaining interceptor prototypes intercepted a training target at a distance of 300 km: all the achievements of the American Tomcat-Phoenix deck link were completely parried.
The modern MiG-31BM was endowed with similar qualities. Despite the fact that "BMki" are improved versions of the MiG-31B in terms of electronic "stuffing", and retained the same aerodynamics and airframe with a standard wing area, the new equipment gave the multipurpose interceptor previously unthinkable capabilities to deal with a wide range of ground and surface targets.
The combat load of the MiG-31BM is 9000 kg (only 1 ton less than envisaged for the MiG-31M), but a huge list of used missile and bomb weapons appeared, which was not on the previous versions of the MiG-31, and which is many times wider than on one of the most advanced versions of the Raptor - F-22A Block 35 Increments 3.2 / 3.3. This list includes: tactical missiles with television and semi-active laser seeker Kh-29T / L, long-range anti-radar missiles Kh-31P and supersonic anti-ship missiles Kh-31AD created on their basis, subsonic tactical missiles Kh-59M / MK "Ovod" (range 285 km), guided aerial bombs KAB-500 and other modern WTO. This armament turns the MiG-31BM into a real "killer" of enemy ground and naval air defense: as far as we know, no modern tactical fighter-carrier of anti-radar and anti-ship missiles has the ability to approach the target at a speed of 2, 4-2, 6M with suspension weapons, the updated "Thirty-first" will do this without difficulty, plus, at the same time, it will repel an attack of an air enemy at a distance of up to 280 km with the latest R-37 or RVV-BD missiles. "Raptors", for example, even with all their versatility, cannot boast of such unique characteristics of long-range air combat with simultaneous work "on the ground". All this was achieved thanks to the use of a fundamentally new armament control system (SUV) "Zaslon-AM", for the control of which a high-performance on-board computer "Baget-55" was developed.
As you can see, historically, two vehicles of different generations (MiG-31BM and F-22A), of a different class and with different tactical and technical characteristics, have a very similar fate. The initially planned huge series of "Raptors", due to economic problems and investments in programs such as JSF (F-35A / B / C), over a decade was gradually reduced to only 187 combat vehicles, which is why today the US Air Force is extremely rare use them in various theaters, leaving them on the rainy day; also, Raptors are rarely used in strike operations, despite the ability to work against ground targets, placing them on the shoulders of the pilots of the Super Hornets and Strike Eagles. A similar situation is observed with our MiG-31B / BM.
In July of this year, American congressmen, relying on disappointing forecasts for the cost of deck versions of the F-35B / C, as well as on confirmed data on the low flight characteristics of the F-35A, quite seriously began to think about restarting the production facilities of the F-22A and modernizing those already standing on armament of 187 fighters. After all, more or less sane heads in the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defense understand that the Lightnings are inferior to both the Raptors and the Russian super-maneuverable fighters Su-30SM and Su-35S in terms of accomplishing tasks to gain superiority; on the F-35A alone, the protection of the NORAD air defense identification zone cannot be built. Nevertheless, the "reboot" of the serial production of the F-22A, firstly, will require significant additional financial investments, and secondly, it no longer has the relevance that was in the first decade of the XXI century. So, for example, the smaller volume of the F-22A's internal armament bays does not allow in stealth mode to take on board more than 2 guided bombs weighing more than 467 kg (GBU-32), the F-35A and C can take 4 bombs of a similar caliber and 2 UAB caliber 900 kg. The only exception is the F-35B deck-based stealth fighter with a short takeoff and vertical landing, where part of the volume of the internal weapon bays is occupied by an air intake and a nacelle with a lifting fan.
To expand the range of attack missile and bomb weapons, the Raptor will need to use external underwing suspensions, which will lead to the loss of the stealth mode. This prospect does not suit the Americans fundamentally, because it completely contradicts the concept of their Air Force, where priority is given to inconspicuous, fast and powerful strike operations.
As for the MiG-31BM, its assembly line was also thought to be restarted quite recently. And it was not a simple Internet observer or blogger who suggested this, but Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. It is no coincidence that exactly 20 years later, an opinion was expressed about the possible resumption of the MiG-31BM: the machine is really ready for shock operations of the new century and air battles at prohibitive ranges, at which other fighters only detect each other. But in the end, they decided to stop only at the modernization of existing machines to the level of the MiG-31BM. There are several reasons for this at once: this is a large radar signature of the airframe (EPR about 10 m2), and low maneuverability, which does not allow conducting close air combat, and simply a huge infrared signature, which is visible at a distance of a couple of hundred kilometers using the infrared channel of optical-electronic complexes AN / AAQ-37 DAS and AAQ-40 (CCD-TV) installed on the F-35A. But nevertheless, the machines will serve in the Russian Aerospace Forces for at least a decade, since there are some qualities that were not specified at the beginning of the review - the ability to fly at supersonic cruising speeds up to 2250 km / h (with ultra-long-range R-37 airborne missiles on 4 ventral suspensions), interception of stratospheric targets with speeds up to 6500-7000 km / h, use as a high-speed super-operational AWACS aircraft for other tactical aviation. In these tasks, our MiG-31BM can compete with the Raptors.
The Russian Aerospace Forces is in service with about 150 MiG-31B / BM / BSM, 113 of which will be upgraded to BM / BSM versions by the facilities of the Sokol Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft Building Plant. It is very difficult to say whether this amount is enough or not. But given that the link of these multipurpose interceptors can keep under control a segment of airspace with a length of more than 1000 km, then even a quarter of the MiG-31BM aircraft fleet will be enough to hold strategically important air directions both in the Far East and in the European theaters of military operations. These interceptors can reach a target with the afterburner turned off 1, 15 times faster than the Raptors, which is why 150 vehicles can be considered quite a sufficient number. And let's not forget about the "Thirty First", which are in service with the Air Defense Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Some of the Kazakh MiGs are also undergoing modernization, and as a result will become a reliable aerospace "shield" on the southern air route of the CSTO, in addition to the recently transferred S-300PS anti-aircraft missile systems to the Union republic.
The US Air Force's Raptors are much more difficult. Given their aggressive military and political activities, only 187 aircraft have to be distributed both for the defense of the air borders of the North American continent and for participation in hostilities and reconnaissance operations in the APR, the Middle East and Europe. In conclusion, it is worth noting: both our and American vehicles, despite their conceptual differences, can be put on a single "step" in terms of significance for the Air Force, the number of weapons in service and the range of operations performed on both sides of the barricades. Their full combat potential will be unleashed only in the course of a global military escalation, which will require the use of all types of military-political instruments.
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