MiG-31BM: The Foxhound – A Fearsome Interceptor
The MiG-31BM, commonly known as the Foxhound, is not designed for dogfighting but excels as a powerful interceptor. This substantial aircraft, weighing up to 41 tons when fully loaded, can reach speeds of up to Mach 2.8 (with the capability to achieve Mach 3 for brief periods) and boasts a range of up to 3000 km.
Advanced Detection and Tracking Systems
The MiG-31BM is equipped with the advanced Zaslon-AM phased array radar, capable of identifying air targets at a maximum range of 320 km, tracking 24 airborne objects simultaneously, and engaging 8 of them at once. Complementing this radar is an infrared search system for passive tracking.
This interceptor also features a sophisticated datalink system that automatically communicates and shares data with other MiG-31s, S-300 batteries, A-50 AWACS, and other compatible fighter aircraft within a 200 km range. Due to this system, a fleet of four MiG-31BMs flying in formation can cover an airspace spanning up to 800 km.
The Foxhound can engage targets at a range of 200 km (direct shot) and a theoretical range of 398 km (cruise glide shot) with the newer R-37M missile. Notably, in April 1994, a MiG-31 equipped with an R-37 missile successfully hit a target 300 km away.
Role in the Ukraine Conflict
Experts on Twitter/X initially predicted that the MiG-31s would stay away from the Ukraine conflict, protecting Russia’s northern borders. However, these predictions have proven incorrect.
Foxhounds are actively participating in the war, demonstrating their capabilities across Ukraine. MiG-31s have been observed based in locations like Voronezh (Western Russia), Belbek (Crimea), and Minsk (Belarus). Both the MiG-31BM and MiG-31K variants are deployed near the warzone.
The MiG-31BM flies high-altitude air patrols, disrupting Ukrainian military air traffic over the front lines and beyond, from a stand-off position. The Foxhound can engage Ukrainian aircraft while staying out of reach of both Ukrainian jets and SAMs. There have been multiple reports of MiG-31BM “kills.”
Specialized Missiles and Patrol Strategies
The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), cited by The War Zone, reported that the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) were launching up to six R-37Ms daily during October. Evading this missile has proven particularly challenging for Ukrainian pilots due to its high speed, long range, and targeting capabilities.
The MiG-31K variant also participates in high-altitude patrols and occasionally launches Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles deep into Ukraine. Given that Ukrainian radars and NATO early warning systems can’t differentiate between a MiG-31BM and a MiG-31K, each Foxhound takeoff triggers air alerts across Ukraine and businesses within a 2,000 km/1,200 mi radius of the aircraft’s location.
The duration of MiG-31 combat missions near Ukraine averages around 2 hours, causing prolonged air alerts and business closures during this period. The VKS is fully aware of the impact these alert intervals have on the Ukrainian economy.
Economic and Tactical Impact
As such, even a handful of Foxhounds can caus significant disruption to the Ukrainian economy without engaging in combat. This has been reported by the Kyiv Post as a tangible impact of Russian aerial operations.
This isn’t the first instance of Soviet-era interceptors causing significant disruption for the opposition. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, coalition forces aborted several bombing runs over Iraq upon detecting MiG-25 Foxbats. Notably, a MiG-25 piloted by Lt Zuhair Dawoud successfully shot down an F/A-18, flown by Lt Cdr Speicher, on the conflict’s first night, marking Iraq’s only confirmed air kill of the war.
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