MiG-31: Russia’s Record-Breaking Fighter Still Flying High

Key Points and What You Need to Know: Russia’s MiG-31, introduced during the Cold War, still boasts impressive top speeds nearing Mach 3, making it the fastest fighter aircraft in operational service. The Soviet-era platform has seen various upgrades, reportedly giving it modern electronics, radar, and weapon systems.

-However, the MiG-31’s reliability and effectiveness remain uncertain due to crashes, friendly-fire incidents, and questionable modernization progress. While it’s arguably more than capable against older fourth-generation jets, many analysts doubt it can challenge the stealthy F-22 Raptor in a modern fight.

-An incident in Ukraine, where at least one MiG-31 was shot down, further raises questions about its current battlefield viability.

Why Putin Won’t Retire the MiG-31 Anytime Soon

Russia’s famous high-speed Cold War-era MiG-31 continues to fly as part of Putin’s apparent long-term plan to sustain the aircraft’s service life. The embattled aircraft experienced some high-speed training crashes and friendly fire over the last few years. It is widely reported to be the fastest fighter jet in the world. 

Should the available specs be accurate, the MiG-31 appears capable of hitting unparalleled speeds of Mach 2.8, substantially faster than the US Air Force F-22s Mach 2.23 speed. 

There is little to no information on whether the MiG-31 could rival the well-known F-22. Many independent observers regard the F-22 as the best air-to-air, air-supremacy fighter the world has ever seen. The F-22 is more modern than the MiG-31, as the Russian MiG-31 emerged during the height of the Cold War era in the 70s and 80s and the F-22 emerged at least a decade later. 

Upgraded MiG-31? 

At the same time, despite being an older airframe, the MiG-31 has been consistently upgraded over the years, much like 1980s-era US fighter aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16. A significant article from as far back as 2015 in the Moscow Times says Russia plans to fly its MiG-31 for 50 years, emphasizing continued modernization plans.

 This might seem surprising given that the aircraft first emerged decades ago, however, airframes can remain viable with some maintenance for decades beyond their intended service life.

This is the case concerning the US Air Force’s Service Life Extension Plans (SLEP) for the F-15, F-16 and F/A-18. With some structural reinforcement and sustainment, these aircraft have added thousands of flight hours beyond their anticipated service life.

Of greatest significance with the SLEP programs, which have been underway for many years, these Cold War US Air Force and US Navy Fighters have become entirely different aircraft due to the nature and extent of the modernization efforts. 

New electronics, fire control, weaponry, sensors, computing, software and avionics have all been vastly improved with generational enhancements in the case of these aircraft. 

MiG-31 Performance

While the Moscow Times details a number of significant upgrades being woven into the MiG-31, it seems unclear how much Russian upgrades have improved performance parameters of the aircraft. Russian upgrades may not have been as impactful as US Air Force enhancements to the F-16 and F-15, which have arguably transitioned decades-old aircraft into highly relevant and valuable 4th-generation aircraft now designed to operate in a modern threat environment. Added to the uncertainty, effectiveness, and implementation of the MiG-31s various modernization efforts, the high-speed aircraft has been plagued with a handful of training-related crashes and friendly-fire incidents.

One essay in the WarZone as far back as 2019 details a “botched” training exercise in Siberia that transpired over a friendly fire incident. The WarZone report also cited information detailing some mechanical problems with the aircraft.  

“The summary of the mishap suggests that there could be dangerous problems with the aircraft’s Zaslon-M radar and Baget-55 fire control system that might increase the risk of more accidental shootdowns,” the WarZone states. 

Questions over Operations in Ukraine 

Finally, the MiG-31’s combat effectiveness, while believed to be quite significant, does appear to raise some questions. Despite the aircraft’s seemingly unprecedented speed, a Newsweek report from April, 2024 states that a Russian MiG-31 was shot down in Ukraine by Ukrainian forces. 

MiG-31. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

About the Author: Kris Osborn

Kris Osborn is the Military Technology Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.