Posted on 08/31/2013 9:14:50 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Russian MiG-31 Fighter Jets Good Enough Until At Least 2028
ZHUKOVSKY, August 30 (RIA Novosti) Russias MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors will stay in service until at least 2028 or possibly five or 10 years more, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Friday.
We are satisfied with this aircraft; it performs its functions wonderfully, the general said, adding that as next-generation long-range missiles and aircraft are developed, interception functions could be assigned to newer warplanes as well.
Bondarevs remarks seem to be a little bit at odds with his comments in April, when he said the Air Force hoped to receive a new long-range fighter-interceptor by 2020 and retire its existing fleet of MiG-31s by 2028. He also spoke out against restarting production of the MiG-31, which was discontinued two decades ago, saying the country needed a totally new interceptor to meet modern requirements.
The Russian Air Force has 122 MiG-31 interceptors in service and more aircraft in reserve, the general said at the time.
The MiG-31, the fastest fighter-interceptor in service anywhere in the world, has recently been the subject of a comprehensive upgrade to the MiG-31BM standard. The Russian Air Force has previously said it intends to take delivery of up to 60 MiG-31BMs by 2020, under a contract signed with United Aircraft Corporation in 2011.
I momentary flick of the trigger pumps out 20 or 30 rounds
You’ll have 8 to 10 pulls of the trigger before you’re out. If you don’t have a close-in kill by then, you’re probably dead anyway.
It’s an interceptor not a fighter. Make a pass, shoot down some bombers and bug out.
s/b A momentary...
A Mig 15 was meant to shoot down bombers.
MIG-31’s have shot down exactly one plane; a jet airliner.
Another fighter gets close, the required manoverability is built into the AA-8 missiles, not the aircraft.
The gun is for "shot across the bows" use (actual meaning, not rodeo clowen meaning)
Most fighters carry about that much, look into F-18, F-16, F-15 etc, the A-10 is in a different category. They are usually 25mm, and big enough, not much smaller than 30mm.
If you are referring to KAL 007, it was a SU-15 that shot it down.
Most fighter carry many more rounds that that piece of junk.
A 20mm in any jet is a far smaller round than a 30mm of the A-10. Heck, the Apache carries the 30mm and its round is a pop-gun round when compared to the A-10. http://www.hightech-edge.com/wp-content/uploads/20mm-30mm-comparison.jpg
Like I said, they likely put the gun on that junk for a one-pass-haul-a$$ run during the merge. That piece of junk can’t turn worth a darn and therefore they have no need to dedicate much for the dogfighting world.
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