MiG-25

Viktor Belenko, Who Defected to the West in a MiG-25 Foxbat Jet Fighter, has passed away

Viktor Belenko, Who Defected to the West in a MiG-25 Foxbat Jet Fighter, has passed away

Viktor Belenko Viktor Belenko, the former Soviet Air Defence Forces pilot who defected to the West in 1976 in a… Read More

1 week ago

Iraqi Air Force fighter jets were buried in the desert by Saddam Hussein before Operation Iraqi Freedom started. Here’s why.

No Iraqi Air Force opposition during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On Mar. 20, 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) began with preemptive… Read More

1 month ago

Did you know the defection of Viktor Belenko inspired Clint Eastwood’s Firefox?

The cover artwork of the novel Firefox by Craig Thomas depicted a MiG-25, and the plane was described similarly to… Read More

3 months ago

These photos of Viktor Belenko’s defecting MiG-25 buzzing Hakodate rooftops prove that reaching Japan was easy but landing the Foxbat was difficult. Here’s why.

For Senior Lieutenant Viktor Belenko’s defecting MiG-25 Foxbat reaching Japan proved to be the easy part, as touching down on… Read More

3 months ago

Here’s why Soviets never developed their own SR-71 and why the MiG-25 Foxbat was never as fast as the Blackbird

The Soviets did not have the technology to make blades that could tolerate as high temperatures as the J58 turbine.… Read More

9 months ago

Check out these pictures of Viktor Belenko’s defecting MiG-25 Foxbat buzzing Hakodate rooftops before landing at the city’s international airport

Soviet Lt. Viktor Belenko became an instant celebrity when he successfully defected to the West by flying his Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25… Read More

1 year ago

Here’s why the MiG-25 Foxbat was never as fast as the SR-71 (and why Soviets never developed their own Blackbird)

The MiG-25 (NATO reporting name “Foxbat”) could outrun any fighter in the air, and indeed any military aircraft other than… Read More

2 years ago

MiG-25 Vs F-15: Here’s why, although less advanced than the Eagle, the Foxbat was faster than the F-15

The design of the MiG-25 was directed entirely at achieving high speed and high altitude. Conceived to intercept the North… Read More

2 years ago

Remembering the Iraqi Air Force fighter jets found buried in the desert by American Forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom

“When United States and coalition forces invaded Iraq in 2003 [during Operation Iraqi Freedom], they faced no Iraqi Air Force… Read More

3 years ago

During the I Karabakh War of 1992-1994 both Armenia and Azerbaijan claimed lots of ‘MiG-25’ shot downs. But most of jets were either L-39s or Su-25s

During the I Karabakh War both sides were claiming a lots of 'MiG-25s' as shot down - almost all by… Read More

3 years ago

Here’s a Video that Celebrates 80th Anniversary of MiG

In total at domestic aircraft building plants there have been manufactured about 45000 aircraft of "MiG" brand, from which 11000… Read More

4 years ago

Former IRIAF F-14 Pilot Tells the Story of the Last, Exciting Iran-Iraq War Tomcat Hot Scramble

‘As we came down the ladder, we were given the news that the war had ended minutes ago. I muttered… Read More

4 years ago

The Myth of Soviet Arms and Tactics in the Middle East, Part Five: why Soviet arms perform so poorly in Arab service

The available technology and know-how just couldn’t keep up: by the time the MiG-23 ‘had to enter series production’, it… Read More

4 years ago

The Myth of Soviet Arms and Tactics in the Middle East, Part Three: Single-Engined F-14s and the Iran-Iraq War

The huge 1974 arms deal between Tripoli and Moscow resulted in several – outright ‘nightmarish’ – experiences with Soviet arms.… Read More

4 years ago

A quick look at Algerian Foxbats: the only MiG-25 Fighters to Take Part in NATO Exercises

Having signed contract in 1978, Algeria was the first export customer for MiG-25 Foxbat. MiG-25PDS’are still operational today. Algeria was… Read More

4 years ago

Eagle Vs Foxbat: when USAF F-15s dogfighted with Iraqi (or Russian?) MiG-25s during Operation Desert Storm

'I looked at him more closely and saw that he had two missile pylons under each wing. Now I knew… Read More

5 years ago

The defection of Viktor Belenko, the pilot who stole the super-secret Soviet MiG-25 fighter jet

The MiG-25 was of special importance to the Soviet air defence, since (until the MiG-31 entered service) it was the… Read More

5 years ago