MiG-31BM/Κ Interceptor/Attack aircraft: News #2

Who cares about a modern r-27 ? They didn't make the r-27AE with a 140km range back then, why would they loose their time with ot now.

All-in in the r-77M, r-37M and r-74.

India made the error to not keep working on the ks-172 which would have been a beast and now they beg israelis for a dumb 100km range missile to face pakistani.

MiG-31BM in Anadyr:  https://vk.com/video-133441491_456271192?list=d9cf68cfd268d17588

Nº23 & Nº31 RF-33798

These two are the airplanes were previously in Yelizovo with the same tail numbers, now modernized

In total Yelizovo has received at least 12 MiG-31BM and has one  squadron (despite lost Nº39 this year)


Then the total number modernized are 151 or 152 (one Nº05 red is not clear if change the tail number)
10 of them are lost, so 141 or 142 MiG-31BM in the ranks of VKS in 12 squadrons and also 3 MiG-31K squadrons

There are still in reserve: 18 MiG-31 stored in Yelizovo, about 24 in Lipetsk and 5 in Kenevichi ARZ

about other 20 MiG-31BM are necesary for a second squadron in Yelizovo and replace losses

George1 wrote:

2 questions:
- All MiG-31B are stored?
- How many MiG-31Ks are in service?

the MiG-31B with probe were modernized to MiG-31BM type 28 in 2008-2013, about 46, prototypes excluded, out of 54 receivef fron USSR. Not probably more avaliable

since 2014 only have been modernized MiG-31 to MiG-31BM type 58/78


about MiG-31K there are 3 squadrons (up to 36), 2 of then probably completed, the third I cannot say
- Fisrt sequdron had numbers 88 to 99 red in Akhtunisk, however nº92 was lost in Soltsy
- Second squadron in Savaslayka has known numbers from Nº30 to Nº39 blue. The squadron was probably completed in 2022
- Third squadron, supposedly in Savasleyka, for the moment I only know Nº50 and Nº51 RF-95194, but probably will be completed this year or in 2024 as late

As I said the number of MiG-31DZ received was about 45-46 so you only can get 3 squadrons that is just one regiment with 36
In the best case you can get about 40 and have several in reserve to replace losses

franco wrote:

What is at Rzhev and are the aircraft in Kazakhstan of any use?

Forget Rzhev, the useful airplanes, mainly MiG-31DZ was taken from here time ago
You can find several MiG-25 and several MiG-31 , probably for spares and the rest for scrap.

The useful reserve is in Lipetsk for the west and in Kenevichi for the East.
The MiG-31 remaining in Yelizovo probably are for a second squadron in Yelizovo and the rest probably will be sent to Knevichi or Lipetsk


About Kazakhstan there are 27 in Karaganda and 10 in Semipalatinsk or whatever is called now
Is a good ammount that allow one more regiment and some reserves, but I doubt Kazakhstan will sell or change them for other thing , at least while the war in Ukraine.

Comrade Kim in Knevichi with one MiG-31K Nº43  

If all the numbers are included from Nº30 to Nº51, this are 22 and other 12 in red tail number, total 34 for the moment, one of them lost

Who cares about a modern r-27 ? They didn't make the r-27AE with a 140km range back then, why would they loose their time with ot now.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the R-27, its old electronics can be upgraded to modern digital electronics and its performance can be dramatically improved.

In terms of aerodynamics those big butterfly shaped wing enabled the missile to perform turns without bleeding speed like a small triangular wing like those fitted to the western equivalent Sparrow missile does, meaning it turns rather well and is a reasonable missile.

Keep in mind that the US Navy upgraded their Sparrow missiles and still use them as the ESSM missile... renamed so you forget it is ancient... you would think they would drop it and not lose time with it and just make a surface launched AMRAAM, but they didn't.

There are dozens and dozens of different R-27 variants from normal R-27 to long burn R-27E missiles and IR and SARH and ARH as well as passive radar homing models. There are models for new planes and models for old planes. There are special models for carrier aircraft intended to be operated over the sea.

It is a very interesting system that has good potential for upgrades and improvements... the E models have rather more space for rocket fuel but new rocket fuels would boost performance rather more for a large weapon with so much fuel on board than it might for a smaller more modern missile like R-77.