Iraqi Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25


Image by james_gordon_los_angeles
MiG-25Rs and Su-25 ground attack jets have been found buried at al-Taqqadum air field west of Baghdad. Iraqi Air Force operated seven MiG-25PUs (MiG-25PU Foxbat-C
Two-seat trainer aircraft, with a new nose section fitted with two separate cockpits, lacks radar and has no combat capability), nine MiG-25Rs (MiG-25R Foxbat-B Single-seat reconnaissance aircraft, fitted with cameras, sensors and ECCM equipment), and 19 MiG-25PD/PDSs (MiG-25PD Foxbat-E Single-seat all-weather interceptor fighter aircraft, fitted with a RP-25 look-down/shoot down radar, and an undernose IR search and track system, powered by two Tumansky R-15BD-300 turbojet engines, armed with two R-40 and four R-60 air-to-air missiles.
MiG-25PDS. This designation was applied to all surviving MiG-25P "Foxbat A"s. The aircraft were subsequently upgraded in the early 1980s) as of January 1991. During Operation Desert Storm most of them were destroyed on the ground, Two were shot down during and seven were flown to Iran for "safekeeping.’
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (NATO reporting name: Foxbat) is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that was among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by the Soviet Union’s Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau the first prototype flew in 1964 with entry into service in 1970. It has a top speed of Mach 2.83+ (as high as Mach 3.2, but at risk of significant damage to the engines), and features a powerful radar and four air-to-air missiles.
When first seen in reconnaissance photography, the large wing planform suggested an enormous and highly maneuverable fighter. This was during a period of time when U.S. design theories were also evolving towards higher maneuverability due to combat performance in the Vietnam War. The appearance of the MiG-25 sparked off serious concern in the west, and prompted dramatic increases in performance for the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in late 1960s. The capabilities of the MiG-25 were better understood in 1976 when Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko defected in a MiG-25 to the United States via Japan. The large wing turned out to be due to the aircraft’s very heavy weight.
Production of the MiG-25 series ended in 1984 after completion of 1,190 aircraft. A symbol of the Cold War, the MiG-25 flew with a number of Soviet allies and former Soviet republics, remaining in limited service in Russia and several other nations. It remains the fastest combat aircraft ever produced.
Design and development
Background
During the Cold War, Soviet Air Defence Forces, PVO (not to be confused with Soviet Air Force, VVS) was tasked with the strategic air defense of the USSR. In the decades after World War II, this meant not only to deal with accidental border violations, but more importantly to defend the vast airspace of the USSR against US reconnaissance aircraft and strategic bombers carrying free-fall nuclear bombs. The performance of these types of aircraft was steadily improved. Overflights by the very high altitude American Lockheed U-2 in the late 1950s revealed a need for higher altitude interceptor aircraft than what was then available.
The subsonic Boeing B-47 Stratojet and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers were followed by the Mach 2-capable Convair B-58 Hustler, with the even faster North American B-70 Valkyrie on the drawing board. A major upgrade in the PVO defence system was required, and at the start of 1958 a requirement was issued for manned interceptors capable of going 3,000 km/h and fly at heights up to 27 km (88,583 ft). Mikoyan and Sukhoi responded.
YE-152 and YE-152M experimental interceptor
The Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB had been working on a series of interceptors during the second half of the 1950s: the I-1, I-3U, I-7U, I-75, Ye-150, Ye-150A, Ye-152, Ye-152A, Ye-152P, and Ye-152M. The Ye-150 was noteworthy because it was built specifically to test the Tumansky R-15 engine, two of which would later be used for the MiG-25. This led to Ye-152, alternatively known as Ye-166, which set several world records.[6] The Ye-152M (converted from one of the two Ye-152 aircraft) was intended to be the definite heavy interceptor design. But before it was finished, the PVO had selected the Tupolev Tu-128. As the work on the MiG-25 was well under way, the single-engine Ye-152M was abandoned.
Designing a new interceptor
Work on the new Russian interceptor that would become the MiG-25 started in mid-1959,[7] a year before Soviet intelligence learned of the American Mach 3 A-12 reconnaissance aircraft.[8] It is not clear if the design was influenced by the American A-5 Vigilante. Requirements could easily have led the design team to use a similar layout. The promise of the new design roused the military’s interest in both VVS and PVO. In February 1961 the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union issued a joint directive with the Council of Ministers of the USSR, tasking the Mikoyan OKB with the development of an aircraft designated Ye-155, the interceptor and reconnaissance versions of which were designated Ye-155P (Perekhvatchik – radar-directed, all weather interceptor) and Ye-155R (Razvedchik-reconnaissance) respectively. On 10 March 1961, Mikoyan signed a formal order to start design work on the Ye-155.
The design bureau studied several possible layouts for the new aircraft. One had the engines located side-by-side, as on the MiG-19. The second had a stepped arrangement with one engine amidships, with exhaust under the fuselage, and another in the aft fuselage. The third project had an engine arrangement similar to that of the English Electric Lightning, with two engines stacked vertically. Option two and three were both rejected because the size of the engines meant any of them would result in a very tall aircraft which would complicate maintenance.
The idea of placing the engines in underwing nacelles was also rejected because of the dangers of any thrust asymmetry during flight. Having decided on engine configuration there was thoughts on giving the machine variable-sweep wings and a second crew member, a navigator. Variable geometry would improve maneuverability at subsonic speed, but at the cost of decreased fuel tank capacity. Because the reconnaissance aircraft would operate at high speed and high altitude the idea was soon dropped. Another interesting but impractical idea was to improve the field performance using two RD36-35 lift-jets. Vertical takeoff and landing would allow for use of damaged runways during wartime and was studied on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The problem has always been that engines dedicated to vertical lift do not contribute with any power in horizontal flight, and occupy space in the airframe needed for fuel. The MiG interceptor would need all the fuel it could get so the idea went nowhere.
A variety of other roles were considered for the aircraft, including cruise missile carrier, and even a small five to seven-passenger supersonic transport, but none of these notions bore any fruit, and only the main directive of a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft for the VVS’ Frontal Aviation and heavy interceptor for PVO was ever realized.
The first prototype was a reconnaissance variant, designated "Ye-155-R1", and made its first flight on 6 March 1964. It had some characteristics that was unique to that prototype, and some of these were visually very evident: The wings had fixed wingtip tanks (600 litre capacity) to which small winglets were attached for stability purposes, but when it was found fuel sloshing around in the tanks caused vibrations they were eliminated. The aircraft also had attachments for movable foreplanes, canards, to help with pitch control at high speed (provisions for canards had previously been installed, but not used, on the Ye-152P.
The first flight of the interceptor prototype, "Ye-155-P1", took place on 9 September 1964. Development of the MiG-25, which represented a major step forward in Soviet aerodynamics, engineering and metallurgy, took several more years to complete.
On July 9, 1967, the new aircraft was first shown to the public at Domodedovo air show.
The Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau soon realized that the performance of the new aircraft gave it great potential to set new flight records. In addition to their normal duties, the prototypes Ye-155-P1, Ye-155-R1, Ye-155-R3 were made lighter by removing some unneeded equipment, and were used for these attempts. Under Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) classification the Ye-155 type belonged to class C1 (III), which specifies jet-powered land planes with unlimited maximum take-off weight. A few records can be mentioned here:
The first claim was for world speed records with payloads of 1,000 and 2,000 kilogram. Test pilot Alexander Fedotov reached an average speed of 2,319.12 km/h over a 1,000 km circuit in 16 March 1965.
For pure speed, with no payload, test pilot Mikhail M. Komarov averaged 2,982.5 km/h over a 500 km closed circuit in 1967, three months after the new aircraft was first shown to the public at Domodedovo. On the same day A. Fedotov reached an altitude of 29,977 metres (98,350 ft) with a 1,000 kilogram payload. But the MiG could go higher and eventually it became the first aircraft to go higher than 35,000 metres (115,000 ft).
Time to height records were recorded on 4 June 1973 when Boris A. Orlov climbed to 20,000 m in 2 min 49.8 sec. The same day, Pyotr M. Ostapenko reached 25,000 in 3 min 12.6 and 30,000 m in 4 min 3.86 sec.
On 25 July 1973, A. Fedotov reached 35,230m with 1,000 kg payload, and 36,240 m with no load (an absolute world record). In the thin air, the engines flamed out and the aircraft coasted on in a ballistic trajectory by inertia alone. At the apex the speed had dropped to 75 km/h.
A few years later, on 31 August 1977, Ye-266M flown by MiG OKB Chief Test Pilot Alexander V. Fedotov, set the recognized absolute altitude record for a jet aircraft under its own power.[citation needed] He reached 37,650 metres (123,520 ft) at Podmoskovnoye, USSR in zoom climb (the absolute altitude is a different record than the sustained altitude in horizontal flight). The aircraft was actually a MiG-25RB re-engined with the powerful R15BF2-300. It had earlier been part of the program to improve the aircraft’s top speed that resulted in the MiG-25M prototype.
In all 29 records were claimed, of which seven were all-time world records for time to height, altitudes of 20,000 m and higher, and speed. Several records still stand.
Technical description
Because of the thermal stresses incurred in flight above Mach 2, the Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB had difficulties choosing what materials to use for the aircraft. They had to use E-2 heat-resistant plexiglass for the canopy, and high-strength stainless steel for the wings and fuselage. Using titanium rather than steel would have been ideal, but it was expensive and difficult to work. The problem of cracks in welded titanium structures with thin walls could not be solved, so the heavier nickel steel was used instead. It cost far less than titanium and allowed for welding, along with heat resistant seals. The MiG-25 was constructed from 80% nickel steel alloy, 11% aluminium, and 9% titanium. The steel components were formed by a combination of spot-welding, automatic machine welding and hand arc welding methods.
The MiG-25 was theoretically capable of a maximum speed of Mach 3+ and a ceiling of 90,000 ft (27,000 m). Its high speed was problematic: although sufficient thrust was available to reach Mach 3.2, a limit of Mach 2.8 had to be imposed as the turbines tended to overspeed and overheat at higher speeds, possibly damaging them beyond repair.
Into production
Full scale production of the MiG-25R (‘Foxbat-B’) began in 1969 at the Gorkii aircraft factory (Plant No.21). The MiG-25P ("Foxbat-A") followed in 1971, and 460 of this variant was built until production ended in 1982. The improved PD variant that replaced it was built from 1978 till 1984 with 104 aircraft completed. But from then on the Gorkii factory switched over production to the new MiG-31.
A non-combat trainer variant ("Foxbat-C") was also developed for each version, the MiG-25PU and MiG-25RU, respectively. The MiG-25R evolved several subsequent derivatives, including the MiG-25RB reconnaissance-bomber, the MiG-25RBS ("Foxbat-D") with side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), the MiG-25RBK ELINT aircraft, and the MiG-25BM ("Foxbat-F") SEAD variant, carrying four Raduga Kh-58 (NATO reporting name AS-11 ‘Kilter’) anti-radiation missiles. The BM variant was introduced late into service, in 1988.
Western intelligence and the MiG-25
Inaccurate intelligence analysis caused the West initially to believe the MiG-25 was an agile air-combat fighter rather than an interceptor. In response, the United States started a new program which resulted in the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. NATO obtained a better understanding of the MiG-25′s capabilities on 6 September 1976, when a Soviet Air Defence Forces pilot, Lt. Viktor Belenko, defected, landing his MiG-25P at Hakodate Airport in Japan.
The pilot overshot the runway on landing, damaging the landing gear and making the MiG-25 un-airworthy. It was carefully dismantled and analyzed by the Foreign Technology Division (now the National Air and Space Intelligence Center) of the United States Air Force, at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. After 67 days, the aircraft was returned to the Soviets in pieces. The analysis, based on technical manuals and ground tests of engines and avionics, revealed unusual technical information:
Belenko’s particular aircraft was brand new, representing the very latest Soviet technology.
The aircraft was assembled very quickly, and was essentially built around its massive Tumansky R-15(B) turbojets.
Welding was done by hand. Rivets with non-flush heads were used in areas that would not cause adverse aerodynamic drag.
The aircraft was built of a nickel alloy and not titanium as was assumed (though some titanium was used in heat-critical areas). The steel construction contributed to the craft’s 64,000 lb (29,000 kg) unarmed weight.
Maximum acceleration (g-load) rating was just 2.2 g (21.6 m/s²) with full fuel tanks, with an absolute limit of 4.5 g (44.1 m/s²). One MiG-25 withstood an inadvertent 11.5 g (112.8 m/s²) pull during low-altitude dogfight training, but the resulting deformation damaged the airframe beyond repair.
Combat radius was 186 miles (299 km), and maximum range on internal fuel (at subsonic speeds) was only 744 miles (1,197 km) at low altitude (< 1000 meter).
The airspeed indicator was redlined at Mach 2.8, with typical intercept speeds near Mach 2.5 in order to extend the service life of the engines. A MiG-25 was tracked flying over Sinai at Mach 3.2 in the early 1970s, but the flight led to the destruction of its engines.
The majority of the on-board avionics were based on vacuum-tube technology, not solid-state electronics. Although they represented aging technology, vacuum tubes were more tolerant of temperature extremes, thereby removing the need for providing complex environmental controls inside the avionics bays. In addition, the vacuum tubes were easy to replace in remote northern airfields where sophisticated transistor parts might not have been readily available. With the use of vacuum tubes, the MiG-25P’s original Smerch-A (Tornado, NATO reporting name Foxfire) radar had enormous power – about 600 kilowatts. As with most Soviet aircraft, the MiG-25 was designed to be as rugged as possible. The use of vacuum tubes also makes the aircraft’s systems resistant to an electromagnetic pulse, for example after a nuclear blast.
Later versions
As the result of Belenko’s defection and the compromise of the MiG-25P’s radar and missile systems, beginning in 1976, the Soviets started to develop an advanced version, the MiG-25PD ("Foxbat-E"). This upgrade consisted of new RP-25 Sapfir (Sapphire) look-down/shoot-down radar (the same radar as used in the MiG-23 fighter), infrared search and track (IRST) system, other electronic improvements and more powerful R15B-300 engines. About 370 earlier MiG-25Ps were converted to this standard and redesignated MiG-25PDS.
Plans for a new aircraft to develop the Foxbat’s potential to go faster than the in-service limit of Mach 2.8 were designed as a flying prototype. Unofficially designated MiG-25M, it had new powerful engines R15BF2-300, improved radar, and missiles. This work never resulted in a machine for series production, as the coming MiG-31 showed more promise.
Operational history
The unarmed ‘B’ version had greater impact than the interceptor when the USSR sent two MiG-25R, and two MiG-25RB to Egypt in March 1971 and stayed until July 1972. They were operated by the Soviet 63rd Independent Air Detachment (Det 63) set up specially for this mission. Det 63 flew over Israeli held territory in Sinai on reconnaissance missions roughly 20 times. The flights were in pairs at maximum speed and high altitude (between 17,000–23,000 m).
On 6 November 1971, an Egyptian MiG-25 flying at Mach 2.5 was met by Israeli F-4Es and fired upon unsuccessfully. A MiG-25 was tracked flying over Sinai at Mach 3.2 during this period. The MiG-25 overspeeded its engines, which led to their later destruction. Unit Det 63 was sent back home in 1972, though reconnaissance Foxbats were sent back to Egypt in 19–20 October 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. Unit Det 154 remained there until late 1974.
On 13 February 1981, Israeli Air Force sent two RF-4Es over Lebanon as a decoy for Syrian MiG-25 interceptors. As the MiGs scrambled, the RF-4Es turned back delivering chaffs and using ECM pods. Two IDF/AF F-15A were waiting for the MiGs and shot one of them down with AIM-7F missiles. The other MiG was able to escape. The trap was repeated on 29 July 1981 and 7 June 1982, when another two Syrian MiG-25s were downed by IDF/AF F-15As, one on each date. Finally, on 31 August 1983, a fourth Syrian MiG-25 was damaged by a Israeli Hawk SAM and then dispatched by an IDF/AF F-15.[20] No Israeli aircraft were lost to the MiG-25.
Iran-Iraq War
The MiG-25 was in service with the Iraqi Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War, but its success against Iranian fighters is largely unknown. Research by journalist Tom Cooper shows that as many as 14 MIG-25s may have been shot down by Iranian fighters during the period from 1978 to 1988, although it is difficult to determine the validity of these claims. Iraqi MiG-25s made their first kill against Iran in February 1983, where an Iraqi MiG-25PD shot down an Iranian C-130. On 21 March 1984, an Iraqi MiG-25PD shot down an Iranian F-4E and on 5 June 1985 an Iraqi MiG-25PD shot down a second Iranian F-4E. On 23 February 1986 an Iraqi MiG-25PD shot down an Iranian EC-130E and on 10 June an RF-4E, later in October 1986, an Iraqi MiG-25PDS shot down a second RF-4E.[24] The most successful Iraqi MiG-25 pilot of the war was Colonel Mohommed "Sky Falcon" Rayyan, who was credited with 10 kills. Eight of these were while flying the MiG-25P from 1981 to 1986.
Persian Gulf War
During the Persian Gulf War, a US Navy F/A-18, piloted by Lt Cdr Scott Speicher, was shot down on the first night of the war by a missile probably fired by a MiG-25. The kill was reportedly made with a Bisnovat R-40TD missile fired from a MiG-25PDS flown by Lt. Zuhair Dawood of the 84th squadron of the IrAF.
In another incident, an Iraqi MiG-25PD, after eluding eight U.S. Air Force F-15s, fired three missiles at General Dynamics EF-111A Raven electronic warfare aircraft, forcing them to abort their mission and leave attacking aircraft without electronic jamming support.
In yet another incident, two MiG-25s approached a pair of F-15s, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then outran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of 10 air-to-air missiles were fired at the MiG-25s, although none reached them. According to the same sources, at least one F-111 was also forced to abort its mission by a MiG-25 on the first 24 hours of hostilities, during an air raid over Tikrit.
Two MiG-25s were shot down by USAF F-15Cs during the Gulf War, both using AIM-7s. After the war, on 27 December 1992, a U.S. F-16D downed a MiG-25 that violated the no-fly zone in southern Iraq with an AMRAAM missile. It was the first USAF F-16 air to air victory and the first AMRAAM kill.
On 23 December 2002, an Iraqi MiG-25 shot down a U.S. Air Force unmanned MQ-1 Predator drone, which was performing armed reconnaissance over Iraq. This was the first time in history that an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat. Predators had been armed with AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, and were being used to "bait" Iraqi fighter aircraft, then run. In this incident, the Predator did not run, but instead fired one of the Stingers, which missed, while the MiG’s missile did not.

No Iraqi aircraft were deployed in the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, with most Iraqi aircraft being hidden or destroyed on the ground. In August 2003, several dozen Iraqi aircraft were discovered buried in the sand.
Specifications (MiG-25P ‘Foxbat-A’)
Foxbt d1.gif

Data from The Great Book of Fighters,[49][page needed] International Directory of Military Aircraft[50]Combat Aircraft since 1945 [1]

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 19.75 m (64 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 14.01 m (45 ft 11.5 in)
Height: 6.10 m (20 ft 0.25 in)
Wing area: 61.40 m² (660.93 ft²)
Empty weight: 20,000 kg (44,080 lb)
Loaded weight: 36,720 kg (80,952 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Tumansky R-15B-300 afterburning turbojets
Dry thrust: 73.5 kN (16,524 lbf) each
Thrust with afterburner: 100.1 kN (22,494 lbf) each

Performance

Maximum speed:
High altitude: Mach 3.2[8] (3,600 km/h, 2,170 mph); Mach 2.83 (3,200 km/h, 1,920 mph) continuous engine limit[8]
Low altitude: 1,200 km/h (648 knots, 746 mph)[50]
Range: 1,730 km (935 nmi, 1,075 mi) with internal fuel
Ferry range: 2,575 km (1,390 nmi)
Service ceiling: 20,700 m (with four missiles) (67,915 ft; over 80,000 ft (24.4 km) for RB models)
Rate of climb: 208 m/s (40,950 ft/min)
Wing loading: 598 kg/m² (122.5 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.41
Time to altitude: 8.9 min to 20,000 m (65,615 ft)

Armament

2x radar-guided R-40R (AA-6 "Acrid") air-to-air missiles, and
2x infrared-guided R-40T missiles

Avionics

RP-25 Smerch radar
A RV-UM or a RV-4 radar altimeter