MiG-31BM/Κ Interceptor/Attack aircraft: News

GarryB wrote:The F-117 was made of metal was it not stealthy?

The R-37M will climb to altitude and fly at high speed at high altitude... I rather doubt the AWACS would see it coming as it wont be looking up it will be looking out and down...

But as mentioned even if it does spot it at long range it wont be able to do much until it is coming down in a steep dive on the AWACS aircraft from rather high altitude...

It is a shame they only have two by two instead of the three by two of the MiG-31M design... ah well...

True.

Su-35 with its Irbis is a better plateform for r-37.

They were talking about a new powerful radar for the 31M which would be nice since it has very huge engines to power it.

Very little about Zaslon-AM exists. It is rather hush hush about it which with the advent of modernizing a ton of MiG-31's with it, including introducing new long range missiles, gives indication it may very well be much more powerful than we may know.

The main targets of the R-37M will be AWACS and tanker aircraft and also JSTARS and troop transports... they wont be using them against stealthy aircraft or even fighter aircraft most of the time so extreme radar power would not be needed.

A MiG-35 should be able to detect an AWACS plane scanning from enormous ranges, so targeting should not be a problem.

It could also receive the target general location from another platform or source.

The first launches of R-37M required an Su-30M operating much closer to the target to provide target information, but once launched the missile did its own thing as it is an ARH missile with its own radar sensor.

I rather doubt they expect the MiG-31s carrying R-37M missiles to operate with forward deployed Su-30Ms so they have clearly improved radar performance... the original Zaslon was handicapped with a rather weak computer processing capacity, but its electronic scanning forms an enormous volume of airspace it can track targets within... it was a very impressive achievement when it entered service whose performance should not be under estimated...

Zaslon M and AM fixed all those issues of poor processing power. Minor adjustments to tech on Bars R gave it performance increase from fighter based sized target of 140km to over 300km getting even closer to Irbis performance. The Zaslon AM is theorized to be even higher than Irbis now thanks to modern technology and newer microprocessors. Hopefully they use Elbrus 4SM (with the elvees dsp cores).

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3620414.html
About the 2017 crash.
Apparently was shot down by its wingman due to the ZaslonAM IFF failing to work properly.
They say it happened because it was running in experimental pulsed mode rather than normal quasi-continuous mode, trying to increase number of simultaneous engaged targets.

hoom wrote:https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3620414.html
About the 2017 crash.
Apparently was shot down by its wingman due to the ZaslonAM IFF failing to work properly.
They say it happened because it was running in experimental pulsed mode rather than normal quasi-continuous mode, trying to increase number of simultaneous engaged targets.

Was reading that.  I imagine they went back to figure out what went wrong with the IFF in that regards.  Probably the radar's architecture didn't pick up the IFF translation from the onboard computer thus not blocking the radar or giving the radar information that the other aircraft was friendly.  Good thing no one died but too bad they lost one of the jets.

I am still trying to find information on the MiG-31BM's Zalson AM radar.  Anyone got technical data?

Edit: This is what I got on Zaslon-M but what about Zaslon-AM?

The Zaslon-M is an upgraded, multi-mode version of the Zaslon phased array antenna radar developed by KRET Corporation for the Mig-31BM aircraft, which is also a modernized version of the Mig-31 interceptor. The modernization of the radar focused on the maximum detection range, use of new types of weapons, implementation of a digital receiver and avionics upgrade. The Zaslon-M can detect a fighter aircraft at a range of 320 kilometers with the ability to engage them at a distance of 280 kilometers. The upgraded radar can track up to 24 aircraft while engaging up to eight airborne targets simultaneously. The Zaslon-M also enables the use of air-to-air missiles, smart bombs and anti-radiation missiles.

The probleme wasn't the radar but the S-800 and Baget-55 computer that hasn't enough computing power to process the signals from the Zaslon.

It should be solved with modern computer when modernized.

It seems that the IRST is too old to work with this computer.

Original report of the incident.

https://baza.io/posts/f3824674-7116-47bb-bc0f-572e58cea35a

Baget-55 is a new computer from ~2004.
There is newer gen on Su-35/57 though, so maybe they need a Zaslon-MA-M or -M2 with the newer processors.

They cleared usage of Elbrus 2 and 4 CM that has elvees DSP cores so that could also work too.

dino00 wrote:Top view: MiG-31BM fighter will be turned into an attack headquarters

"Combat Airships" will receive a unique automatic control system

Aleksey Ramm
Alexey Kozachenko

Russian interceptors MiG-31 became carriers of an automated control system (ACS) with unique technical characteristics. This is a combat reconnaissance circuit, which creates a continuous field of observation within a radius of more than 300 km. Data will be collected and processed using elements of artificial intelligence. And the leading fighter-interceptor MiG-31 will be able to independently hit targets or point them at other fighters or air defense weapons.

Full Article
https://iz.ru/873658/aleksei-ramm-aleksei-kozachenko/vzgliad-sverkhu-istrebitel-mig-31bm-prevratiat-v-shtab-ataki

this can greatly evolve air combat by adding more complexity to it simply by means of adding more freedom of thought to reality

Second MiG-31D (Blue 82) photographed with hardpoint for ASAT missile, suggesting the tests are ongoing



Blue 81 previously

Two upgraded MiG-31BM fighters to rejoin air regiment in Eastern Siberia

https://tass.com/defense/1089337

Second MiG-31D (Blue 82) photographed with hardpoint for ASAT missile, suggesting the tests are ongoing

The demise of the ABM treaty means anti ballistic missile and anti satellite weapons are legal now... if they don't develop such weapons they risk getting behind in an important technology.

George1 wrote:Two upgraded MiG-31BM fighters to rejoin air regiment in Eastern Siberia

https://tass.com/defense/1089337

The Monchegorsk Regiment forming a second squadron of MiG-31BM

In 2019, the Monchegorsk regiment received about 10 MiG-31BM of types 58 and / or 78 (misnamed "BSM") to form a second squadron of MiG-31 fighters and thus recover the traditional Monchegorsk figther regiment closed in 2002

Previously, in 2010-2011 he received another 10 MiG-31BM of type 28, (with a refueling probe), numbered from No. 01 to No. 10
Logically after 10 years, they will need a revision in the 514th ARZ to extend their useful life another season

In addition, several MiG-31BM from the 458 IAP of Kotlas that closed in 2009 were stored here, so the two squads would be almost complete (about 22-23 MiG-31BM maximum). These 2-3 planes were those of the first contract and were only active in Kotlas in 2009

With the data known so far, at least 141 MiG-31BM have already been modernized (46 of them Type 28 with probe and 95 types 58/78)
Of them 4 devices were lost in the 12 years since the delivery of the first device in service

In addition there are 10 MiG-31K and 3 MiG-31BP (anti-satellite) in the testing phase

Two more squadrons are needed for Yelizovo, and all remaining MiG-31DZ are expected to be modernized to MiG-31K and MiG-31BP, so we can go to the 200 modernized MiG-31s in service [/ b ] when modernization of all types is finished

https://vk.com/milinfolive?w=wall-123538639_1311152
https://vk.com/milinfolive?w=wall-123538639_1311171
https://vk.com/milinfolive?w=wall-123538639_1311178



Nº61


Nº65


Nº66


Nº71


Type 28 : Nº04 and also Nº52 !!! ,this is a veteran of 458 IAP of Kotlas, return after 5 or 6 years in the shelter


Type 28: Nº03 ,  Nº08 and other two in the shelters

Cyberspec wrote:Second MiG-31D (Blue 82) photographed with hardpoint for ASAT missile, suggesting the tests are ongoing



Blue 81 previously

This is not MiG-31D, that was a soviet variant

The manofacturer calls them "Product 6" (Iz. 6) and "product 8" (Iz. 8 ) to the two new variants, who are called unoficially MiG-31K and MiG-31BP in several sources


There are three airplanes, 81 and 82 probably are for test in Zhukovsky, but Nº94 is working with the MiG-31K squadron

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

AMCXXL wrote:
The manofacturer calls them "Product 6" (Iz. 6) and "product 8" (Iz. 8 ) to the two new variants, who are called unoficially MiG-31K and MiG-31BP in several sources

MiG-31K is a Kinzhal carrier, isn't it?

Yes

Interesting details: https://russian.rt.com/russia/article/716358-mig-31-modernizaciya-kinzhal

MiG-31K launches Kinzhal, not BM as far as anyone is aware.

Some major mistakes in that rt article. Not surprising to be honest.

@AMCXXL

How many MiG-31's does Russia have in reserve overall? How many do you think they could modernize and bring back into service?

I missed that part.

Some rumors state that Tu-160M may have Kinzhal support.

How many MiG-31's does Russia have in reserve overall? How many do you think they could modernize and bring back into service?

I would say it probably depends on the engines... have they put the engine back in to production or are they working on new engine upgrades for the aircraft... something they could further update...

It wouldn't be out of realm for them to restart production
Modernized parts may make it far more efficient too.

MiG-31 was a very good jet. Still a very good jet.