“MiG-41 will be able to operate in space”

“The Russian MiG-41 fighter will be an impressive machine. It will not only have supersonic speed, but even hypersonic speed. It will also be able to move very far from Earth. The National Interest states that the MiG-41 will be capable of operating in space. At the same time, the author, American military expert Michael Peck, stipulates that “no one has seen his plane yet and it will be ready to fly in just a few years.”

The new project of the Russian long-range fighter MiG-41 has no less worthy predecessors. These are high-altitude and high-speed fighters MiG-25 and MiG-31, the last of which is still in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces. This is about 250 aircraft, of which some machines are carriers of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

“This is the fear and horror of the entire NATO bloc,” Major General Vladimir Popov, a military expert, told socialbites.ca. – An aircraft exceeding the speed of anti-aircraft missiles in terms of speed characteristics already presents a certain danger. In the presence of hypersonic missiles, it is already an irresistible killer for any purpose. MiG-31 has become a unique machine in all respects. The new modification of the MiG-41 version will increase performance. The development of the high-altitude fighter has been going on since 2013. The project differs from previous versions – it will carry weapons not on the poles, but inside the hull. It will also be equipped with a powerful radar.”

It is known that the project of a long-range fighter interceptor (a promising aviation complex for long-range interception – PAK DP) was carried out in OKB. Mikoyan with the Nizhny Novgorod Design Bureau of the Sokol aircraft factory.

“The purpose of the promising MiG-41 interceptor is to detect and destroy ballistic and cruise missiles, various aircraft – from low-flying drones to low-flying orbital satellites,” military expert Vladislav Shurygin told socialbites.ca. – It has the ability to successfully shoot down American F-22 and F-35 fighters. The fighter interceptor hits air targets that it can detect at distances up to 280 km, thanks to the active phased array antenna, which is not found in a complete set in any other aircraft in the world.

The interceptor carries a combat load of up to nine tons, its arsenal will include various types of ammunition, including long-range missiles, which it can hit on its own without external target designation. At the same time, the MiG could be a “flying command post”.

Even at the stage of experimental and scientific work on the MiG-41, in August 2018, Ilya Tarasenko, Director General of MiG Corporation, announced that a technologically completely new aircraft will fly at speeds of Mach 4-5, that is, perform missions above 6000 km / h and in close space. A manned vehicle is also known to be developed in anticipation of moving into production of a basic unmanned version.

The volume and exact characteristics of the weapons were not disclosed, but it can be assumed that the latest MiG-41 will most likely take over the Kinzhal aviation complex with a hypersonic missile from the MiG-31BM, which will be able to overcome all existing and future air defenses. and missile defense systems of a potential enemy at a distance of up to 2000 km.

Earlier, the former commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Viktor Bondarev, told reporters that the MiG-41 will carry “all-new missiles” alongside the R-37 long-range air-to-air missiles.

“Judging by the design features and images of promising aircraft, the MiG-41 fighter is created on the principle of flying wing. This will provide high maneuverability. It should be noted here that the MiG-31 interceptor can withstand long-term dynamic and thermal loads thanks to a durable body design made of 50% steel, 33% aluminum alloys and 16% titanium. Obviously, these features will be preserved and possibly improved,” adds Sergei Belousov, a member of the Military College of Experts.