Russia has moved Mig-31 interceptors close to Ukrainian border

November 19, 2014 Russia, Troubled Areas, War in Ukraine
David Cenciotti

Russian build-up along the Ukrainian border continues.

According to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Russian Federation is continuing to amass forces at the border, including radar stations and Mig-31 Foxhound combat planes, interceptors capable of a maximum speed of Mach 2.83.

An unspecified amount of Mig-31s based at Perm have been deployed to Millerovo airfield, in the Rostov region, close to the border with Ukraine, a sign that Moscow may be preparing to actively control the airspace over Luhansk Oblast.

The MiG-31 is a two-seater derivative of the MiG-25 in service since 1983. Designed to face U.S. supersonic strategic bombers flying at low altitude (B-1B bomber), the MiG-31 has quite good low-level capabilities and features a radar with look-down-shoot-down capability. Equipped with a HUD (Head-Up Display), the Foxhound is older and less maneuverable than Mig-29 and Su-27, but it is still an amazing interceptor, with a top speed of Mach 2.83 and an operational range of 1,450 km.

Although the production of the Mig-31 ended in the early 1990s, the Foxhound interceptor is being upgraded to extend its operative life up to the 2028 – 2030, until a replacement will be available.

In the meanwhile, the Russian Air Force has plans to base the aircraft at Tiksi airfield, located on Russia’s Arctic Ocean coast.

According to Ukrainian Government, along with Migs and radars, Russian tanks have been reported crossing the border, whereas hundred pieces of military equipment have been deployed by the Russian Federation inside Ukraine.

Image credit: Dmitriy Pichugin/Wikipedia

 

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About David Cenciotti
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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

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5 Comments

  2. Standard written English mandates that this sentence:
    “An unspecified amount of Mig-31s based…” be changed to:
    “An unspecified number of Mig-31s based…”
    The word “amount” is used to describe things like butter or water, that is not divisible into separate, discreet quantities.

    The word “number” is used to describe items that ARE divisible into discreet entities, such as “bricks,” or “planes.”
    Thank you.

  3. GOOD, I hope Russia takes the Ukraine back. The Ukraine has a NAZI Puppet government that is controlled by the United States; and George Soros bragged about funding the revolution there, that has caused thousands of deaths. The NAZI’s there have killed thousands of innocent men women and children also. Since the revolution was started, Vice President Joe Biden put his son Hunter Biden on board on of the largest Ukraine gas producers called “Burisma Holdings” and is now Drilling Shale Gas In East Ukraine. The puppet President of the Ukraine recently said that they where going to make sure every Easter Ukrainian citizen goes without food, shelter, water, education, and that their children suffer and die. This piece of crap is evil and so is his government.

  4. If the Russian economy goes south what will Putin do.

    Either he goes, he changes his direction or he lashes out even more, but is he that crazy?

  5. NATO needs to let Ukraine go and Russia need to let Syria go and call it even then the Cold War will be over end of story

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