Difference between revisions of "MiG-25"
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The aircraft has a [[bubble canopy]], and the wings are high on the fuselage. The twin engines are equipped with dual exhaust. | The aircraft has a [[bubble canopy]], and the wings are high on the fuselage. The twin engines are equipped with dual exhaust. | ||
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| + | ==Operational History== | ||
| + | ===Arab-Israeli Clashes=== | ||
| + | Soviet-flown Foxbats flew reconnaissance missions for the [[Egypt]]ians from 1971, over the Sinai and over [[Israel]]. The IAF tried to set up an interception using [[F-4 Phantom]]s, but all attempts failed. | ||
| + | |||
| + | On February 13, 1981, Syrian Foxbats attempted to intercept an Israeli RF-4 Phantom on a reconnaissance mission, but escorting [[F-15 Eagle]]s, vectored by an Israeli [[E-2 Hawkeye|E-2C AWACS plane]], downed one with [[AIM-7 Sparrow]] missiles. The other escaped. On July 29 of that year, another Foxbat was downed by F-15s under similar circumstances.<ref>''Rolling Thunder: Jet Combat from World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref> The Syrian Air Force claimed that one of their MiG-25s downed an F-15 in June 1981, but this has never been confirmed.<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_272.shtml Syrian Air-to-Air Victories since 1948]</ref> Syria still operates MiG-25s. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Iran-Iraq War=== | ||
| + | The Foxbat was [[Iraq]]'s most modern fighter at the start of the [[Iran-Iraq War]]. They were flown exclusively by Soviet pilots at first, but Iraqi pilots were trained to fly them after the war began. They claimed a number of victories in the interception role,<ref>''Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat'', by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, Osprey Publishing, 2004</ref> but their record is still largely unknown. Iraqi Foxbats proved as difficult to intercept as Syrian Foxbats had been to the Israelis, but Iranian [[F-14 Tomcat]]s managed to down eleven over the course of the war, all with Phoenix missiles.<ref>''Iranian F-14 Units in Combat'', by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop, Osprey Publishing, 2004</ref> MiG-25s were used to attack Iranian shipping as well, but with no success.<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_209.shtml Tanker War, 1980-1988]</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Gulf War and Confrontations with Iraq=== | ||
| + | Iraq still had MiG-25s at the time of the [[Gulf War]], but they were little used for reconnaissance for fear of losses. A Foxbat scored the Iraqi Air Force’s only aerial victory of the war on the first day of bombing (see: [[F/A-18 Hornet]]), and the fast-moving MiGs were still hard to successfully intercept. However, two USAF F-15s managed to down two Foxbats on the third day of the war, expending seven missiles to do so.<ref>''F-15C Eagle Units in Combat'', by Steve Davies, Osprey Publishing, 2005</ref> Others were destroyed on the ground or flown to Iran to escape the Coalition juggernaut. | ||
| + | |||
| + | After the war, in December 1992, an American [[F-16]] downed a MiG-25 that had violated the no-fly zone over southern Iraq, the first kill for the F-16 in American service.<ref>http://www.f-16.net/f-16_fighting_falcon_airframe-3150.html</ref> Ten years (to the month) later, an Iraqi Foxbat shot down an unmanned Predator drone that had been sent to “bait” Iraqi fighters.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/25/tech/main551126.shtml Pilotless Warriors Soar to Success]</ref> All remaining Iraqi MiGs were destroyed or captured in the invasion. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==MiG-25 in Popular Culture== | ||
| + | When Western sources still thought of it as a superfighter, the Foxbat was the inspiration for novel and movie ''Firefox'', by Craig Thomas. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A B-52 survives an interception by MiG-25s in a tense scene in the nuclear war movie ''By Dawn's Early Light'', and Foxbats are briefly seen on the ground in the blockbuster ''Independence Day''. | ||
| + | ==References== | ||
| + | <references/> | ||
[[Category: Aircraft]] | [[Category: Aircraft]] | ||
[[Category:Russia]] | [[Category:Russia]] | ||
Revision as of 18:37, October 25, 2008
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 "Foxbat" is a Soviet high-speed high-altitude interceptor which was probably designed to intercept the B-70 Valkyrie. It is fast--the fastest operational fighter in the world--but extremely unmaneuverable. When first introduced, it caused great anxiety among NATO analysts, who initially over-estimated its capabilities. The need to counter the new fighter led to the development of the F-15 Eagle.
Western operators have discovered five versions:
The A is the first version.
The B is a reconnaissance version.
The C is a training version.
The D is a modified reconnaissance version.
The E is the current interceptor.
Design
The aircraft has a bubble canopy, and the wings are high on the fuselage. The twin engines are equipped with dual exhaust.
Operational History
Arab-Israeli Clashes
Soviet-flown Foxbats flew reconnaissance missions for the Egyptians from 1971, over the Sinai and over Israel. The IAF tried to set up an interception using F-4 Phantoms, but all attempts failed.
On February 13, 1981, Syrian Foxbats attempted to intercept an Israeli RF-4 Phantom on a reconnaissance mission, but escorting F-15 Eagles, vectored by an Israeli E-2C AWACS plane, downed one with AIM-7 Sparrow missiles. The other escaped. On July 29 of that year, another Foxbat was downed by F-15s under similar circumstances.[1] The Syrian Air Force claimed that one of their MiG-25s downed an F-15 in June 1981, but this has never been confirmed.[2] Syria still operates MiG-25s.
Iran-Iraq War
The Foxbat was Iraq's most modern fighter at the start of the Iran-Iraq War. They were flown exclusively by Soviet pilots at first, but Iraqi pilots were trained to fly them after the war began. They claimed a number of victories in the interception role,[3] but their record is still largely unknown. Iraqi Foxbats proved as difficult to intercept as Syrian Foxbats had been to the Israelis, but Iranian F-14 Tomcats managed to down eleven over the course of the war, all with Phoenix missiles.[4] MiG-25s were used to attack Iranian shipping as well, but with no success.[5]
Gulf War and Confrontations with Iraq
Iraq still had MiG-25s at the time of the Gulf War, but they were little used for reconnaissance for fear of losses. A Foxbat scored the Iraqi Air Force’s only aerial victory of the war on the first day of bombing (see: F/A-18 Hornet), and the fast-moving MiGs were still hard to successfully intercept. However, two USAF F-15s managed to down two Foxbats on the third day of the war, expending seven missiles to do so.[6] Others were destroyed on the ground or flown to Iran to escape the Coalition juggernaut.
After the war, in December 1992, an American F-16 downed a MiG-25 that had violated the no-fly zone over southern Iraq, the first kill for the F-16 in American service.[7] Ten years (to the month) later, an Iraqi Foxbat shot down an unmanned Predator drone that had been sent to “bait” Iraqi fighters.[8] All remaining Iraqi MiGs were destroyed or captured in the invasion.
MiG-25 in Popular Culture
When Western sources still thought of it as a superfighter, the Foxbat was the inspiration for novel and movie Firefox, by Craig Thomas.
A B-52 survives an interception by MiG-25s in a tense scene in the nuclear war movie By Dawn's Early Light, and Foxbats are briefly seen on the ground in the blockbuster Independence Day.
References
- ↑ Rolling Thunder: Jet Combat from World War II to the Gulf War, by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997
- ↑ Syrian Air-to-Air Victories since 1948
- ↑ Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat, by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, Osprey Publishing, 2004
- ↑ Iranian F-14 Units in Combat, by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop, Osprey Publishing, 2004
- ↑ Tanker War, 1980-1988
- ↑ F-15C Eagle Units in Combat, by Steve Davies, Osprey Publishing, 2005
- ↑ http://www.f-16.net/f-16_fighting_falcon_airframe-3150.html
- ↑ Pilotless Warriors Soar to Success