With its extensive borders - territorial, maritime and
arctic - the Soviet Union had always needed to pay particular attention to its
air defence. In the late 1950s a new lightweight turbojet, the R15-300, offered
the potential to develop a fundamentally new type of interceptor. The
Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) design bureau took up the challenge and the project was
designated E-155.
Powered by a combination of jet and rocket engines, the
machine aircraft promised dazzling performance. It could intercept targets
flying at 2,500mph (4,000km/h) at 18-30 miles (30- 50km) high more than 100
miles away. Armament was to include K-9 air-to-air missiles (AAMs), with plans
to replace them with the more advanced K-155s.
By 1960 this hypersonic dream was abandoned and efforts were
concentrated on the S-155 weapon system, comprising a rethought E-155P
interceptor, armed with two K-9 all-aspect AAMs and Kh-155 rockets.
The E-155`s tactical radius enabled its use beyond the
intercept distance of the short-range surfaceto- air missile defence barrage.
It was planned to utilise K-90 (or Smerch-A) on-board radar, which had a target
detection range sufficient to perform a successful missile attack.
Initial sketches of the E-155 were in line with the
technology of the late 1950s, including a delta wing, side-mounted
inverted-scoop air intakes, single fin and skid undercarriage. This did not
last long - in 1960 the designers proposed a new configuration with a trapezoid
wing of 40-degree sweep at the leading edge and two vertical fins.
VALKYRIE KILLER
This was the beginning of the MiG-25 dynasty. The pace was
rapid: the threat of the North American B-70 Valkyrie bomber had to be
addressed. NATO meanwhile allocated the reporting name Foxbat to the programme.
MiG set up an experimental design bureau, OKB-155, to tackle the project. One
of the most significant challenges facing it was to overcome the `temperature
barrier' - intensive heating of the airframe. After thorough analysis it was
decided to use stainless steel as the main structural material.
The thin-profile, high-mounted and medium-sweep wing
combined with high fuel efficiency enabled the interceptor to conduct
longduration flights with externally-mounted missiles at airspeeds of up
1,615mph up to 15 miles high and to sustain loadings of up to 4.3g.
Also proposed was a high-flying tactical reconnaissance
version, dubbed E-155R, which was to be built first. It would be fitted with
optical, infrared and topographic mapping cameras and electronic reconnaissance
equipment. To increase the range of the E-155R, 263-gallon (1,200 litre) fixed
fuel tanks were mounted on the wingtips.
In May 1968 the Gorky factory completed the E-155R4. In
production this was designated MiG-25R in October 1969.
MULTI-TASKING
The Middle East `Six-Day War' in 1967 alerted the Kremlin to
the need for a high-performance fighter-bomber and the decision was taken to
expand the Foxbat's capabilities. The first reconnaissance/bombers, MiG-25RBs,
could only carry up to 4,400lb (2,000kg) of ordnance on fuselage-mounted
hardpoints. But with the development of wing-mounted bomb carriers, the payload
doubled.
In 1970 the Air Force Scientific Research Institute began
testing a MiG-25RB equipped with the Peleng navigation system. During the
trials A G Fastovets dropped two bombs automatically for the first time, while
flying at 1,553mph for the first time. Production of the 'RB continued until
1972.
The MiG-25RB could only carry out basic electronic
reconnaissance, until the improved Kub-3 (and later Kub-3M) gear was installed,
enabling real-time location and analysis of radio emissions and data transfer
to a command post. This configuration was designated MiG-25RBK and the type was
built in 1971. It was followed by the MiG-25RBS equipped with Sablya
sideways-looking radar.
Other improvements included introduction of the SAU-155R
automatic flight control system. The reconnaissance version employed the
Siren-1F (and later 2F and 3F) airborne jamming system for self-protection.
The final version was the -25BM, armed with four Kh-58
antiradiation missiles, intended to `Wild Weasel' could also carry up to
1,100lb of bombs. MiG-25BMs were in series production from 1982 till 1985.
TEASING TEL AVIV
Service entry for the MiG-25R began in 1969 and the first
unit to master the new type was the 10th Detached Reconnaissance Air Regiment.
The following year, regiment pilots were already carrying out bombing in
automatic mode with MiG-25RBs. If their bombing suppress enemy radars. This
Soviet error during did not exceed 2,600ft (800m) pilots received an
`excellent' rating; a `satisfactory' mark was given for a 7,800ft error. Later,
'RBs were fitted with the improved Peleng-2 navigation system and the standard
was reduced to 1,300ft and 3,900ft respectively.
The Foxbat's combat debut was in Egypt in 1971. Under the
command of Colonel Aleksander Bezhevets, the 63rd Detached Air Unit was formed
that year. It was overseen by General G Baevskiy and the Mikoyan Design Bureau
was represented by deputy chief designer L Shengelaya.
In the autumn, four Antonov An-22 Cock and 56 An-12 Cub
transports carried four dismantled MiG-25Rs directly from the factory at Gorky
to Cairo West airfield. After assembly the Foxbats, which did not carry any
insignia, were flown by MiG test pilot V G Gordienko.
Aleksander Bezhevets recalls: "Reconnaissance flights
were carried out in pairs with a 30-second interval [between them]. Initially
it was planned to keep one-minute intervals but this was reduced to improve the
already low chance of our planes [being] intercepted.
"In 1971/1972 the pilots carried out 13 combat
missions. In one mission, myself and Uvarov flew at a distance of just 18 miles
from Tel Aviv, while the allowed distance was 25. Permission for such flights
was given by Chief Military Advisor Okunev."
Israeli attempts to intercept MiG- 25Rs with Mirage IIIs and
F-4E Phantoms, or to shoot them down with surface-to-air Hawk missiles, were
unsuccessful.
Iraq became the first foreign customer for the MiG-25R in
1985, these were upgraded to MiG-25RB status, facilitating the carriage of up
to eight FAB-500T-M62 bombs.
MiG-25RB combat experience in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and the
northern Caucasus proved the unique capabilities of this reconnaissance/ bomber
variant, and in 1981 India acquired six 'RBs and two MiG- 25RU trainers. Other
operators included Algeria, Bulgaria, Libya and Syria. The Soviet Air Force
used the type for reconnaissance during its Afghan war and in Chechnya.
SELL-OUT AND RETHINK
Developed in parallel with recce version, the E-155P
interceptor prototype made its first flight on September 9, 1964 in Fedotov's
hands. Conforming to the original specification, the E-155P could carry only
two AAMs, but for the E-155P3 the armament was increased to four K-40 missiles.
Six E-155Ps were built and, under the designation MiG-25P, the type entered
service in 1972.
Four interceptor prototypes were demonstrated at the Domodedovo
air parade on July 9, 1967. They had severe airspeed limitations - and ignoring
these parameters had dire consequences. Test pilot I I Lesnikov died on October
30, 1967 when the E-155P1 crashed. It had been banked at transonic speed and
the wing failed. Pilots at OKB-155 worked hard to cure the problem but it was
not finally resolved until 1971.
The MiG-25P entered service in April 1970 with the Soviet
Air Defence Forces at Sevasleyka and Pravdinsk. Its operational debut led to
considerable speculation about its performance and potential, but the guesswork
all stopped on September 6, 1976 when V I Belenko took off from Chuguevka
airfield near Vladivostok and landed at Hakodate airport in Japan in a
highprofile defection. The aircraft was quickly inspected by an American
engineering team and then returned to the Soviets.
With its air defence secrets undermined, the Soviet
leadership reacted rapidly. A decree improving the MiG-25's combat
capabilities, issued in November 1976, led to three MiG-25PD interceptors being
fitted with modified armament (R-40TD and RD, and R-60 missiles) before the end
of August 1977, with flight testing beginning three months later.
In addition, the Smerch-A2 radar was replaced with a
Sapfir-25, which had a different emission frequency, improved jamming
protection and better targeting capabilities including, for the first time, at
low level. It was housed within a much longer nose section. Modified R15BD-300
turbojets completed the transformation to MiG-25PD. NATO called this the
Foxbat-E and its effectiveness was significantly higher than that of its
predecessors; earlier MiG-25Ps were eventually converted into this standard.
The MiG-25P's baptism of fire came on February 13, 1981 when
Syrian Foxbats took off to intercept Israeli reconnaissance RF-4Es which had
entered Lebanese airspace. It turned out the Phantoms were acting as bait as
they quickly turned on their jamming, descended and retreated back to Israel.
The Syrian MiG- 25Ps were then waylaid by a pair of F-15A Eagles which had
approached from low level - one of which fired two AIM-7P Sparrow AAMs, one
hitting a Foxbat.
Other countries that operated the MiG-25P in combat were
Iraq during the Gulf War and Azerbaijan in action against Armenia. From 1967
until 1984 a total of 1,112 MiG-25s of all versions were built, 38 of which
were exported. In 1983 the Soviets started to phase in the much-improved MiG-31
Foxhound which clearly exhibited its MiG-25 lineage.
SLAVA STALIN !!!!
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