3. Mikoyan MiG-31 BM
In service: 2014
Speed: Mach 2.83
The West first learned of new Soviet interceptor dubbed MiG-31 from a defector pilot Lieutenant Viktor Belenko in 1976. Belenko took his Mig-25 to Japan and asked for a political asylum. In return, he told everything he knew (and some things he didn’t know, as it turned out later) about Soviet air force to the Western intelligence services. Among other things, he informed them that Kremlin is working on a new high-speed interceptor, based on MiG-25.
MiG-31 was the first fighter in the world (and the only one, until 2000) to be equipped with a phased array radar. It allowed it look down/shoot down ability, crucial for the interception of low flying high-speed targets below the horizon, like Tomahawk cruise missiles.
In 2014, MiG-31 BM that ranks 3rd on our list of fastest, most advanced Russian fighter jets was introduced into service, with several major upgrades over the original model. The radar was improved, allowing it to track 10 and attack 4 targets simultaneously at the range of 200 km and a brand-new avionics suit was incorporated, which vastly improve airplane handling.
