Back MiG-25 Afrikaans Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 AN ميكويان جوريفيتش ميج-25 Arabic MiQ-25 Azerbaijani МіГ-25 Byelorussian МиГ-25 Bulgarian মিগ-২৫ Bengali/Bangla Mikoian-Gurévitx MiG-25 Catalan MiG-25 Czech Mikojan-Gurevitj MiG-25 Danish
| MiG-25 | |
|---|---|
 A MiG-25PU two-seat trainer | |
| General information | |
| Type | Interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft |
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | Mikoyan-Gurevich / Mikoyan |
| Status | Retired[citation needed] |
| Primary users | Soviet Air Defence Forces (historical) |
| Number built | 1,186[1] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1964–1984 |
| Introduction date | 1970 |
| First flight | 6 March 1964 |
| Developed into | Mikoyan MiG-31 |
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-25; NATO reporting name: Foxbat) is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that is among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau, it is an aircraft built primarily using stainless steel. It was to be the last plane designed by Mikhail Gurevich, before his retirement.[2]
The first prototype flew in 1964 and the aircraft entered service in 1970. Although it was capable of reaching Mach 3.2+, this would result in the engines accelerating out of control and needing replacement, therefore the operational top speed was limited to Mach 2.83.[3][4][5] The MiG-25 features a powerful radar and four air-to-air missiles, and it still has the world record for reached altitude of 38 km (125,000 ft).
When first seen in reconnaissance photography, the large wings suggested an enormous and highly manoeuvrable fighter, at a time when U.S. design theories were also evolving towards higher manoeuvrability due to combat experience in the Vietnam War. The appearance of the MiG-25 sparked serious concern in the West and prompted dramatic increases in performance requirements for the American F-X fighter programme that lead to the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in the late 1960s. The capabilities of the MiG-25 were better understood by the West in 1976 when Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko defected in a MiG-25 to the United States via Japan. It turned out that the aircraft's weight necessitated its large wings.
Production of the MiG-25 series ended in 1984 after completion of 1,186 aircraft. A symbol of the Cold War, the MiG-25 flew with Soviet allies and former Soviet republics, remaining in limited service in several export customers. It is one of the highest-flying military aircraft,[6] one of the fastest serially produced interceptor aircraft,[7] and the second-fastest serially produced aircraft after the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, which was built in very small numbers compared to the MiG-25.[8] As of 2018[update], the MiG-25 remains the fastest manned serially produced aircraft in operational use and the fastest plane that was offered for supersonic flights and edge-of-space flights to civilian customers.[9][8]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Wilsonwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ L. Egenburg, A. Saweljew (1993). "Das G im Wörtchen "MiG": Michail Josifowitsch Gurjewitsch". Fliegerrevue. 5. ISSN 0941-889X.
- ^ "Intelligence: Big-Mouth Belenko". Time, 11 October 1976. Retrieved: 12 June 2021.
- ^ Gunston and Spick pp. 132–133.
- ^ Barron, John (1981). John Barron. MiG Pilot - Chapter V. 1790 Broadway New York, New York 10019: Avon Books. ISBN 0-380-53868-7. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ "Powered Aeroplanes". fai.org. Archived from the original on 10 May 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ FlyFighterJet (6 October 2011). "Fastest Plane in the World". FlyFighterJet.com – Fly a Jet, Fighter Jet Rides in Supersonic MiG-29. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Global Aircraft – Top 50 Fastest Aircraft." The Global Aircraft Organization, 24 April 2007. Retrieved: 30 June 2011.
- ^ "The 10 Fastest Aircraft in the World". MiGFlug.com Blog. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2018.