First batch of MiG‑31BM fighters delivered to Russian forces
The Russian Ministry of Defence has announced the first batch of MiG-31BM interceptor fighters received this year. These are unconventional but highly capable machines that could pose a significant threat, for example, to Ukrainians, who currently have no response to them.
The Sokol Aircraft Plant in Nizhny Novgorod delivered the fighters. The official statement highlights, "They have high combat characteristics and are capable of successfully performing tasks in the conditions of modern conflict."
The Ukrainian military portal Defence Express, which specializes in military topics, emphasizes that this is the first delivery of MiG-31BM to the Russian army this year. At the same time, closer details, particularly the exact number of machines prepared, remain a secret. All were said to have undergone appropriate modernizations and necessary ground tests and flight trials.
The upgrades stem from the fact that the MiG-31BM is not a machine built from scratch. It is an evolutionary version of the MiG-31 fighters, developed in the 1970s to protect the USSR from a potential strike by American strategic bombers. Russia no longer produces them, so the Sokol Aircraft Plant performs upgrades to the MiG-31BM level.
The MiG-31BM has better combat capabilities. Powered by two D-30F-6 turbofan engines, this interceptor fighter can reach an altitude of nearly 21 kilometres and speeds of up to Mach 2.8 (approximately 3,000 kilometres per hour).
From the Russian perspective, the equipment of this machine, which is over 22 metres long, is very important. The manufacturer uses a long-range radar and the ability to carry various types of armament. These can include air-to-air missiles, including the dangerous R-77 and R-37. Thanks to them, the MiG-31BM poses a real threat to the opponent even at long distances. The range of the R-77 and R-37 missiles reaches about 300 kilometres. They carry fragmenting high-explosive warheads weighing 22 kilograms and 60 kilograms, respectively.
MiG-31BM fighters have already been seen over Ukraine, and there may be more of them in the near future. It is worth noting that currently, the defending army does not have aviation that could compete with the MiG-31BM. Ukraine's combat aviation mainly consists of Soviet-era MiG-29s and Su-27s, which do not have such long-range weapons. Hopes are pinned on the arrival of American F-16 fighters equipped with, for example, AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and, possibly, French Mirage 2000s.
