Defense
Upgraded MiG-31 interceptors to cover Russia's Arctic,
other strategic directions — source
December 30, 16:20 UTC+3
Russian President Vladimir Putin sees control of the Arctic as a matter of serious strategic concern for Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin sees control of the Arctic as a matter of serious strategic concern for Moscow
MiG-31 aircraft
MOSCOW,
December 30. /TASS/. Fifty upgraded Mikoyan MiG-31BM supersonic interceptor
aircraft will cover the most important strategic directions, including the
Arctic, a Russian defense industry source told TASS on Tuesday.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin sees control of the Arctic as a matter of serious
strategic concern for Moscow.
According
to the contract terms, more than 50 fighters modernized to the level of
MiG-31BM will be delivered to the troops by the end of 2018.
“After
repair with in-depth modernization to the MiG-31BM level the aircraft will be
put on combat duty to cover the critically important strategic directions,
including the Arctic,” he said.
The
MiG-31 (NATO reporting name Foxhound) is the fastest fighter-interceptor in
service anywhere in the world. The upgraded MiG-31BM has a range of 1450 km on
internal fuel, which can be extended to 5400 km with air-to-air refuelling.
The
warplanes will get upgraded avionics, improved cockpit ergonomic design, new
radars. The fighters’ armament control systems will be modernised for the use
of new bombs and new air-to-air missiles, as well as antiradar missiles.
“The
combat jets are also to be equipped with digital data communication channels,”
the source added. He said the new equipment considerably simplifies the
algorithm of transfer of orders for weapons use and also allows the warplanes
to exchange information with ground-based, aerial and space objects.
The
interceptors will be modernized by the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, the
Nizhny Novgorod-based Sokol Aviation Plant and the Petersburg-based Zaslon
Science and Technology Center.
The
first contract on the MiG-31 jet modernization under which more than 50
upgraded MiG-31BM combat jets will be delivered to the Russian Air Force by
2019, was signed by Sokol in 2011. This year, 18 such warplanes have been
delivered to the troops.
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