The MiG-31 Plamya-Lis (Russian: Пламенный Лис, meaning flame-fox) is a 2nd generation Tactical Surface Fighter developed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyam Guluvich design bureau.
It is the continued development of the MiG-25 Spirt-Voz into a TSF equal to other 2nd generation units in general combat, and more importantly, survivability.[1]
History[]
With the MiG-25's idea of nuclear-based, high-speed blitzkrieg warfare proving fruitless, and the resulting pilot attrition beginning to take its toll on the Soviet Army, the leaders of the Soviet Union ordered the various design bureaus and agencies under it to develop a TSF with higher survivability.[2]
Mikoyam Guluvich, using the MiG-25 as a base, quickly developed the MiG-31 as an improved TSF, replacing the nuclear capabilities of the MiG-25 with the AIM-54 Phoenix missile system, as well as introducing a two-seater cockpit system to reduce pilot stress; the front seat belonged to the pilot, while the back seat was used by the fire control operator.[1] The TSF featured massive improvements over the original Spirt-Voz, chief among them new avionics, complete with ECM and improved detection capabilities, as well as new lightweight composite material armor that reduced the TSF's weight by 18%. This improved the TSF's responsiveness and increased its mobility by 40%; with the MiG-25's high-speed capabilities retained in the MiG-31, this has resulted in a unit capable of much-improved close-combat capabilities, especially with the addition of Close-Combat Daggers, and later Blade Motors, to the MiG-31's arsenal. The AIM-54 system used by the Plamya-Lisa was also improved, holding up to 10 Phoenix missiles from the F-14's six.[1]
The TSF's massive changes in firepower and mobility resulted in the adoption of its current nickname of "Plamya-Lisa" by Soviet forces.
Deployment[]
Deployed in 1990 as the replacement of the MiG-25. Several variants exist as improved models.
MiG-31M[]
The MiG-31M is an improved variant manufactured by the East Germans, made possible with western technology.
MiG-31SM Foxhound[]
The MiG-31SM is an improved variant under NATO/US naming conventions and supervision.
MiG-31AN3[]
A tentative name given to the proposal for the Soviet Union to use the MiG-31 as the premier TSF for Alternative III. Despite its combat capabilities, and more importantly, being of Soviet origins as Alternative III was, the unit lost the selection competition to the F-14. Because of the UN's overwhelming insistence on using the F-14AN3, political motivation was suspected, especially in light of Sufoni securing the contract to maintain the F-14AN3.[3]
Trivia[]
- The real-world MiG-31 was never named in any convention or manner; its Muv-Luv counterpart's name could be a possible reference to the 1982 film Firefox.
- Most of the MiG-31's improvements over the MiG-25 hold true to its real-world counterpart's, except that the MiG-31 was never modified in any manner to accept NATO armaments.
- The TSF MiG-31 accepting the AIM-54 system can be said to parallel the usage of the R-33 missile on the real-world MiG-31, which was said to be the Russian equivalent to the real-world AIM-54.
References[]
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