MiG-25 Foxbat flew in a recon role with the IAF for over two decades
The MiG-25 Foxbat was initially designed as a high-speed pure interceptor to combat the developing XB-70 Valkyrie American bomber capable of Mach 3. Though the Valkyrie never materialized for US war planners, the MiG-25 was kept in production and became one of the fastest aircraft in the world. The MiG-25 (NATO codename of "Foxbat") held various altitude and speed records when it was first unveiled. The aircraft was capable of near Mach 3 speeds at Mach 2.8 and could hit altitudes well above 120,000 feet. The system was powered by two Tumansky turbojet engines that produced a combined thrust of nearly 50,000lbs without any onboard weapons as the Mig-29RB variant in Indian Service.
Design and Development
Overflights by American U-2s in the late 1950s revealed a need for higher altitude interceptor aircraft for Soviet Union. In 1960, Soviet intelligence learned of the US's development of the high altitude, Mach 3 A-12 reconnaissance aircraft. A variety of roles were considered for the prospective aircraft, including cruise missile carriers and even a small five to seven-passenger supersonic transport, but the main objective was a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and heavy interceptor. The Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB accepted the assignment effective 10 March 1961, carrying the bureau designation "Ye-155" (or "Е-155").
Far from being the consummate dogfighter, the MiG-25 was designed as a stand-off interceptor. The aircraft was assisted by ground control radar until its system radar could actively track the target. From there, the Foxbat had the capability of reaching high altitudes in a matter of minutes. The system could then attack an air target from up to 50 miles away and engage it with its 20 foot long air-to-air Acrid missiles. Flying at such high speeds at altitude required the body of the aircraft to be made of nickel and titanium due to intense heat buildup. The aircraft was also a fuel guzzler and could only achieve Mach 3 flight speed for if only a little while. None the less, the system was potent as the interceptor it was designed for. A further development of the air-to-air Foxbat came in the form of the MiG-25PD which was a long-range, high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. This system would be featured greatly throughout the Cold War as the Americans unveiled their Mach 3-capable high-speed, high-altitude Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spyplane. From there, the system would be fielded throughout the fronts of the Soviet Union. The Foxbat eventually made it into export hands, in particular with Egyptian forces against Israel. Iraq also fielded the type in the first Persian Gulf War against coalition forces, accounting for the single Iraqi aerial victory over a United States Navy F/A-18 Hornet. From there, the system served a limited, albeit important, role for the Soviet Union and its satellite states. India finally Purchased the foxbat in 80s.
Aircraft design phase
Because of the thermal stresses incurred in flight above Mach 2, Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB constructed the MiG-25 largely from nickel alloy ("Inconel"), but used a small amount of titanium and aluminum alloys in areas particularly susceptible to high aerodynamic drag. The steel components of the MiG-25 were formed by a combination of spot-welding, automatic machine welding and hand arc welding methods. Initially there was concern that jolts from landing would cause the metal welds to crack but this proved not to be the case, and any cracks that did develop in service were easily welded in the field.
Although intended for intercepting or threatening high-altitude, high-speed aircraft the MiG-25's maneuverability, range, and close combat potential were extremely limited. Even its high speed was problematic: although sufficient thrust was available to reach Mach 3.2, a limit of Mach 2.8 had to be imposed as the turbines tended to overspeed and overheat at higher speeds, possibly damaging them beyond repair. Inaccurate intelligence analyses caused the West to initially believe the MiG-25 was an agile air-combat fighter rather than an interceptor. In response, the United States started a new program which resulted in the F-15 Eagle
Design Description:
A true understanding of the strengths and failings of the MiG-25 by the West came on 6 September 1976, when a PVO pilot, Lt. Viktor Belenko, defected to the West, landing his MiG-25P at Hakodate Airport in Japan. It was carefully dismantled and analyzed by the Foreign Technology Division (now the National Air and Space Intelligence Center) of the United States Air Force, at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. After 67 days, the aircraft was returned to the Soviets in pieces. The analysis showed some surprising facts:
- Belenko's particular aircraft was brand new, representing the very latest Soviet technology.
- The aircraft was assembled very quickly, and was essentially built around its massive Tumansky R-15(B) turbojets.
- Welding was done by hand and construction was relatively crude. As in many Soviet aircraft, rivet heads were left non-flush in areas that would not adversely affect aerodynamic drag.
- The aircraft was built of a nickel alloy and not titanium as was assumed (though some titanium was used in heat-critical areas). The Inconel construction contributed to the craft's massive 64,000 lb (29,000 kg) unarmed weight.
- The majority of the on-board avionics were based on vacuum-tube technology, not solid-state electronics. Seemingly obsolete, vacuum tubes were actually more tolerant of temperature extremes, thereby removing the need for providing complex environmental controls inside the avionics bays. In addition, the vacuum tubes were easy to replace in remote northern airfields where sophisticated transistor parts may not have been readily available. As with most Soviet aircraft, the MiG-25 was designed to be as rugged as possible. Also, the use of vacuum tubes makes the aircraft's systems more resistant to an electromagnetic pulse, for example after a nuclear blast.
- Thanks to the use of vacuum tubes, the MiG-25P's original Smerch-A (Tornado, NATO reporting name 'Foxfire') radar had enormous power — about 600 kilowatts.
- The airspeed indicator was redlined at Mach 2.8, with typical intercept speeds near Mach 2.5 in order to extend the service life of the engines. A MiG-25 was tracked flying over Sinai at Mach 3.2 in the early 1970s, but the flight had resulted in the destruction of its engines.
- Maximum acceleration (g-load) rating was just 2.2 g (21.6 m/s²) with full fuel tanks, with an absolute limit of 4.5 g (44.1 m/s²). One MiG-25 withstood an inadvertent 11.5 g (112.8 m/s²) pull during low-altitude dogfight training, but the resulting deformation damaged the airframe beyond repair.
- Combat radius was 186 miles (300 km), and maximum range on internal fuel (at subsonic speeds) was only 744 miles (1,200 km). In fact, Belenko had only just reached Japan without running out of fuel; without sufficient fuel for a carefully planned landing, he narrowly missed a commercial airliner taking off, and overran the available runway on landing.
Operational History
India
Entirely unarmed — the IAF chose the reconnaissance variant, not the interceptor — and with no modern countermeasures against surface-launched missiles, the Foxbat’s only defence lied in its speed and cruising altitude. India operated MiG-25s in a reconnaisance role. A big mammoth of an aircraft, powered by huge twin engines, flying three times the speed of sound and over three times higher than the maximum altitude allowed to civil airliners, the MiG-25 was the perfect monster the Indian government — and especially then Air Chief Idris Latif — needed to gun up IAF’s virtually non-existent reconnaissance capability in the late 1970s to spy on Pakistan and China.
Not much is known about the operational history of foxbat since itś mission and its technologies were both classified except the infamous incident when one IAF pilot broke sound barrier over pakistani airspace shattering windows and creating a loud booming sound that was heard for miles.
- In May 1997 an Indian Air Force MiG-25RB was broke sound barrier over Pakistani air space creating a huge sonic boom and shattering some windows in the city. It was detected flying faster than Mach 2 at least 65,000 ft,over Pakistani territory following a reconnaissance mission into Pakistan airspace, Pakistani Air Force (PAF) tried to scramble aircraft but it soon realised that it had no aircraft in its inventory which was capable of intercepting a Foxbat that can come close to the cruising height of the MiG-25 (up to 74,000 feet). However, from one of PAF's Forward Operating Bases, radar traced the intruder and the F-16As scrambled. India denied the incident but Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Gohar Ayub Khan, believed that the Foxbat photographed strategic installations near the Capital, Islamabad. Pakistan says the MiG-25 pilot deliberately gave out aircraft signature to remind PAF it had no equal in its inventory.
Abroad
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Before entering operational service, four MiG-25Rs were temporarily in service with Egyptian Air Force in 1971 under the cover designation of "X-500". All four had EAF markings. They flew over Sinai in pairs roughly 4 times. On 6 November 1971, an Egyptian MiG-25 flying at Mach 2.5 was met by Israeli F-4Es and fired upon unsuccessfully.The Israeli Air Force found it impossible to intercept them, even though Israeli intelligence generally knew when the overflights were scheduled. The MiG-25Rs went back home in 1972, though reconnaissance Foxbats were sent back to Egypt in October 1973, after the Yom Kippur War, and remained there into 1974. A MiG-25 was tracked flying over Sinai at Mach 3.2 during this period. The MiG-25 oversped its engines which led to their destruction.The Israeli Air Force did not have the capability to intercept MiG-25s until it received the F-15 Eagle.
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Col. Aleksandr V. Drobyshevsky, confirmed that at least one Soviet pilot, in the USSR's MiG-25 "Foxbat" aircraft, flew recon missions from Egypt into Israel in 1967, just prior to the Six Day War.
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During the Persian Gulf War, a US Navy F/A-18 piloted by Lt Cdr Scott Speicher was shot down on the first night of the war by air-to-air missile fired most likely by a MiG-25. The kill was reportedly made with a R-40DT missile fired from a MiG-25PDS flown by Lt. Zuhair Dawood of the 84th squadron of the IrAF.
Iraqi MiG-25 found buried under the sand at Al Taqaddum Airbase, Iraq. 29 February 2004
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In another incident, an Iraqi MiG-25PD, after eluding eight U.S. Air Force F-15s, fired three missiles at EF-111 Raven electronic warfare aircraft, forcing them to abort their mission. This may have led to the later loss of an F-15 to surface-to-air missiles, due to the lack of electronic jamming
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In yet another incident, two MiG-25s approached a pair of F-15s, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then outran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of ten air-to-air missiles were fired at the MiG-25s, though none reached them. According to the same sources, at least one F-111 was also forced to abort its mission by a MiG-25 on the first 24 hours of hostilities, during an air raid over Tikrit.
Retirement
The Phasing out ceremony of the MiG-25R Foxbat "Garuda" was held on May 1st, 2006 at Air Force Station Bareilly. No.35 Squadron, which operates the MiG-25 undertook a simple ceremony which was presided by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S.P.Tyagi. The ceremony showcased a flypast by a MiG-25 flown by Wg Cdr Sanjiv Talyan. The aircraft landed and taxied to the apron in front of the dias, where Wg Cdr Talyan got down, marched upto the CAS in his flight suit and handed over the Form 700 of the sortie to him, signifying the last operational sortie in the IAF. Two MiG-25s were on display at this ceremony, one which was used in the flypast, the other which was towed in front of the audience and later parked near the hangar. Various items related to the Foxbat, like its massive Tumansky engine and jet nozzle, its Photo-Recce Cameras as well as some of its older photographs were on display. Several former COs of No.102 Squadron attended the function. The IAF has four flyable MiG-25s which will be flown to various destinations around India for preservation. There are another two airframes which will also be put up for preservation at a later date.
Replacement
There is no direct replacement for MiG-25 underway in Indian Air Force. Initial speculation about acquiring MiG-31 Foxhound existed but no recent reports to suggest the same have surfaced. It is suugested that vast improvements in Indian satellite and UAV based reconnaisance has made this category largely irrelevant for IndianAir Force.
Variants
Indian
- MiG-25RB (Mikoyan Type 02B; 'Foxbat-B'): Single-seat high-altitude reconnaissance-bomber, derived from Ye-155R-1 prototype; production began as MiG-25R (Type 02), for reconnaissance only, in 1969; bombing capability added to redesignated RB in 1970; no guns or air-to-air missiles; R-15BD-300 turbojets; any one of three interchangeable photographic/elint modules, with five camera windows and flush dielectric panels, carried aft of small dielectric nosecap, instead of interceptor's Smertch radar; slightly reduced wing span; wing leading-edge sweep constant 41° from root to tip; first aircraft produced in former USSR with INS updated by Doppler; specially developed automatic bombing system makes possible all-weather day/night precision attacks at supersonic speed from heights above 20,000 m (65,600 ft) against targets with known geographic co-ordinates, carrying 2,000 to 5,000 kg (4,410 to 11,020 lb) of 500 kg bombs under wings and fuselage, depending on aircraft series; SRS-4B elint equipment; fuel tank in each fin, providing additional 700 litres (185 US gallons; 154 Imp gallons) capacity; provision for 5,300 litre (1,400 US gallon; 1,165 Imp gallon) underbelly tank; able to fly long distances at cruising speed of Mach 2.35, maximum speed of Mach 2.83 with full bomb load.
| Engine type | 2 x R-15B-300 |
| Thrust, kgf (kN) | max 7500 (73,5) - in afterburner 10210 (100,1) |
| Length | 21.55 m. |
| Overall height | 6.5 m. |
| Wing Span | 13.42 m. |
| Wing Area | 61.4 m2 |
| Takeoff weight | |
| - max | 41.200 kg. |
| - empty | 19.070 kg. |
| Range | |
| - supersonic | 1,635 km. |
| - subsonic | 1,865 km. |
| Range with drop tank 5,300 l. | |
| - supersonic | 2,130 km. |
| - subsonic | 2,400 km. |
| Max. speed, at altitude | 3,000 km/h (2,83 M) |
| Practical ceiling | 23.000 m. |
| Max g-load | 5 |
| Take-off run | 1.050-1.400 m. |
| Landing run | 830-850 m. |
| Take-off speed | 340-360 km/h. |
| Landing speed | 250-290 km/h. |
Foreign
- MiG-25RBV (Type 02B) and RBT (Type 02T) ('Foxbat-B'): As MiG-25RB, with different equipment, including SRS-9 elint on RBV (V for Virazh SLAR) and Tangazh elint on RBT. Produced 1978-82.
- MiG-25PU (Type 39; 'Foxbat-C'): Training version of original MiG-25P interceptor; redesigned nose section containing separate cockpit with individual canopy for instructor, forward of standard cockpit and at lower level; no armament; weapon release simulation standard; some systems modified and updated, permitting simulation of failures; no radar in nose; first roll-out 1968; maximum speed limited to Mach 2.65.
- MiG-25RU (Type 22; 'Foxbat-C'): Training version of MiG-25R; identical to MiG-25PU except for absence of combat simulation system; no reconnaissance sensors; first roll-out 1972.
- MiG-25RBK (Type 02K; 'Foxbat-D'): Produced simultaneously with RB series in 1971-80; reconnaissance modules contain different elint (K of designation for Kub SLAR) and other avionics and no cameras; modified cockpit, electrical and air conditioning systems; bombing capability retained.
- MiG-25RBS (Type 02S; 'Foxbat-D'):As MiG-25RBK but with Sabla SLAR; in production 1971-77; all RBSs upgraded to MiG-25RBSh (Type 02SH) with Shompol SLAR during servicing from 1981.
- MiG-25RBF (Type 02F; 'Foxbat-D'): Updated MiG-25RB; conversions from 1981. Generally to MiG-25RBK standard, but with Shar elint instead of Kub.
- MiG-25BM (Type 02M; 'Foxbat-F'): Defence suppression aircraft derived from MiG-25RB; development started 1972; produced 1982-85; ECM in place of reconnaissance module in 0.72 m (2 ft 4{1/4} in) longer nose, with dielectric panel each side; small blister each side at rear of radome; dielectric panel at front of each outboard weapon pylon; underbelly auxiliary fuel tank as MiG-25R series; four Kh-58 (AS-11 'Kilter') anti-radiation missiles underwing to attack surface-to-air missile radars over standoff ranges. Weights and performance almost identical to RB.
| Engine type | 2 x R-15BD-300 |
| Thrust, kgf (kN) | max 8800 (86,3) - in afterburner 11,200 (109,8) |
| Length | 22.27 m. |
| Overall heigh | t6 m. |
| Wing Span | 13.42 m. |
| Wing Area | 62.4 m2 |
| Take-off weight | |
| - max | 41,200 kg. |
| - normal | 37,000 kg. |
| Internal fuel | 15,245 kg. |
| Range | |
| - supersonic | 1.635 km. |
| - subsonic | 1.865 km. |
| Range with drop tank 5,300 l. | |
| - supersonic | 2,130 km. |
| - subsonic | 2,400 km. |
| Max. speed at altitude | 3,000 km/h. (2,83 M) |
| Practical ceiling | 23.000 m. |
| Max g-load | 3,8 (5) |
Algerian MiG-25 Foxbat
Specifications(MiG-25P 'Foxbat-A')
General characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 19.75 m (64 ft 10 in)
- Wingspan: 14.01 m (45 ft 11.5 in)
- Height: 6.10 m (20 ft 0.25 in)
- Wing area: 61.40 m² (660.93 ft²)
- Empty weight: 20,000 kg (44,080 lb)
- Loaded weight: 36,720 kg (80,952 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Tumansky R-15B-300 afterburning turbojets
- Dry thrust: 73.5 kN (16,524 lbf) each
- Thrust with afterburner: 100.1 kN (22,494 lbf) each
Performance
- Maximum speed:
- High altitude: Mach 3.2 (3,490 km/h, 2,170 mph); Mach 2.83 (3,090 km/h, 1,920 mph) continuous engine limit
- Low altitude: 1,200 km/h (650 knots, 740 mph)
- Range: 1,730 km (1,075 mi) with internal fuel
- Service ceiling: 20,700 m (with 4 missiles) (67,915 ft)
- Wing loading: 598 kg/m² (122.5 lb/ft²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.41
- Time to altitude: 8.9 min to 20,000 m (65,615 ft)
Armament
- 2x radar-guided R-40R (AA-6 'Acrid') air-to-air missiles, and
- 2x infrared-guided R-40T missiles
Avionics
- RP-25 Smerch radar
- A RV-UM or a RV-4 radar altimeter
Operators
Current Operators
Algeria
- Algerian Air Force - 11 are operational, including 5 MiG-25A, 3 MiG-25PD, and 3 MiG-25R models.
Armenia
- Armenian Air Force - 1 is maintained in operational condition.
Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijan Air Force - As many as 20 in service.
Russia
- Russian Air Force - 70 remain in service. They are a mix of 30 MiG-25 interceptors and 40 MiG-25RB Recon.
Syria
- Syrian Air Force - 30 remain in service, including 2 MiG-25Rs and a MiG-25U.[30]
Former operators
Bulgaria
- Bulgarian Air Force - Three MiG-25RBT (#731, #736 and #754) and one MiG-25RU (#51) aircraft were delivered in 1982. On April 12 1984 #736 crashed near Balchik. The pilot ejected successfully. They were operated by 26th RAB at Dobrich until their withdrawal. In May 1991, the surviving MiG-25s were returned to the USSR in exchange for five MiG-23MLD.
India
- Indian Air Force - Retired from service in July 2006. The Trishul air-base in Bareilly had Foxbats capable of flying up to 80,000 feet
Iraq
- Iraqi Air Force. 7 flown over to Iran in 1991, the rest were destroyed in the Gulf War and Operation Southern Watch or buried during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Some also may have been lost during the Iran–Iraq War.
Georgia
- Georgian Air Force
Kazakhstan
Libya
- Libyan Air Force
Soviet Union - The largest operator historically, Soviet aircraft were passed on to its successor states in 1991.
- Soviet Air Force
- Soviet Anti-Air Defence
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
- Ukrainian Air Force - Withdrawn from service.
Sources:
- http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/mig25/
- Rich, Ben, Leo Janos. Skunk Works. Little, Brown & Company, 1994. ISBN 0-316-74300-3
- Gunston, Bill and Mike Spick. Modern Air Combat: The Aircraft, Tactics and Weapons Employed in Aerial Combat Today. NY: Crescent Books, 1983, p. 132-133, Mikoyan/Gurevich MiG-25.
- Barron, John. MiG Pilot: The Final Escape of Lt. Belenko. Mcgraw-Hill, 1980. ISBN 0-380-53868-7.
- Atkinson, Rick. Crusade: The Untold History of the Persian Gulf War. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993, pp. 125–26.
- Steinemann, Peter. "Recce Incursion" Air Power International.
- Steinemann, Peter. "Recce Incursion" Air Power International.
