Mig-25 vs SR-71

Swedish pilots in the 80s used to start at 8000 meters altitude and accelerate north to mach 1.35, then climb with between 3-5 degrees angle at continous acceleration on an opposite heading to the Blackbird that was heading south. The encounters were very fast and dangerous said Viggen fighter pilot Per-Olof Eldh. One of the encounters occured the 9th of Januari 1986. He got a radar lock with Skyflash at maximum range. When the Blackbird passed about 2000 meters above him he could see the dark grey aircraft. Per experienced 5 encounters. Debriefings concluded successful shot down if they would had fired. The Blackbirds usually flew from Germany always on the same route over Denmark then to the right to Borholm then north as far east as possible along the Baltic Sea. Over Åland they slowed down to Mach 2.5 and turned back south increasing to Mach 3 again passing to the west in international air space between the Swedish large islands Gotland and Öland.

For the full story (In Swedish only) read here:
www.mil.se...

reply to post by mxboy15u

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the point here is that the blackbird was too old,carried no weapons,wasn't built to be a fighter or interceptor and moreover when the MiG-25s were around it had no problem in dodging them but with the arrival of the MiG-31 the game went upto a new level and the blackbird (i am sorry) just couldn't compete at this level hence it became essential to take this expensive(its fuel was costlier than the costliest you can imagine) bird off the skies and satellites could to the same job without any loss of human life

The arrival of the MiG-31 had nothing to do with the retirement of the SR-71. Setting the combat capabilities of the MiG-31 aside for just one second, the simple fact is that for decades the SR-71 has not intruded on Russian airspace, therefore the MiG-31 is not a threat. And since the radically-downgraded export version of the MiG-31 is not selling, its not likely that any US recce aircraft would need to worry about bumping into a Foxhound in the third world.

While the Blackbird possessed both speed and (limited) stealth, it also possess a tremendous (and highly classified) electronic warfare suite, which severely degraded the electronics of Russian AAW and SAM systems. Do not blindly believe that all those SAMs fired at Blackbirds missed simply because they flew too high and too fast - it was the comprehensive ECM suites, both barrage and self-screening, that allowed the SR-71 to have such a damage-free career. Read up on the contributions that Adolf Tolkachev provided to the US regarding Soviet AAW and SAM radars, and you will understand why the Blackbird was never shot down. As with most great jet aircraft, it's not the airframe or engines that make the bird - it's whats under the skin that makes it great.

However, that all being said, I'm sure that any SR-71 pilot, given the opportunity, would wisely give any modern MiG-31 a respectfully wide berth, given an encounter. You may be good at getting the Bear, but someday the Bear will, indeed, get you.....

I don't beieve that satellites provide everthing the Blackbird used to provide. And I also do not believe that UAVs are filling that gap either. I'd say there is at least a 75% probability that there is a manned, XVLO platform that is quietly filling the gap that was created whent the SR-71 was retired. The Blacbird is simply too big (RCS-wise) and too expensive to keep in the air.

Please provide us with these sources that state what your saying, because from as far as I know rhe SR-71 was intercepted coming close to Russian borders NUMEROUS times by MiG-31/Su-27's, it has been reported in "AirForce Monthy" and "Combat Aircraft" , Magazines.

[edit on 21-12-2007 by Lambo Rider]

please provide links to this information as well. I have never heard this.

1. I read this with my own eyes, at the store an "AirForce Monthly" magazine a 2006 issue, (what month I forgot) It was about the Su-27's
2. The "Combat Aircraft" issue of I think it's the June or July 2007 issue with the MiG-31 on the Front cover talks about the MiG-31's intercetionS of the SR-71, I don't know if those pages in those magazines are found on the internet but I'll look.
BTW if by know you haven't learned the U.S.'s "tactics" of achieving a "Mighty than Russia" image then listen, the reason you haven't heard of this is because the U.S. likes to use "media trickery" to make it's self look better than Russia, this is WHY you didn't hear this, trying to use my words against me will get you nowhere, you thought I didn't catch on to what you were implying did ya

[edit on 22-12-2007 by Lambo Rider]

reply to post by longbow

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Wrong. We flew over the USSR during the "Maryjane Clipper" missions. SAMS were fired at the Blackbird but with a quick vector heading it could outrun it because the SAM couldn't turn to lock on it.

There's one factor that the Foxbat vs Blackbird discussion needs to keep in mind: the Foxbat has to have impeccable timing to catch a Blackbird en route to or from its destination. Blackbirds are capable of keeping up Mach 3 speeds for extended periods, while Foxbats have to choose a moment to do a hectic Mach 3 sprint towards a target.

Also, remember that the Blackbird is stealthy, so it's a matter of finding the 'Bird first, and then lining up a shot just so that the Blackbird can't evade.

So, is it possible? Maybe, just like detecting a stealth jet from, say, the ground. Can it be done? Only if you're really, really, REALLY lucky and really, really, REALLY skilled.

[edit on 1/3/2008 by Reverie Planetarian]

[edit on 1/3/2008 by Reverie Planetarian]

BLackbird is stealthy! ok agreed but did u ever compare the RCS of the stealthy blackbird and non stealthy foxbat i bet the foxbat will have much reduced RCS than the blackbird,so much for the stealth aspect of the black bird and why wouldn't the satellites not provide you with all that the blackbird provided it was just a recon A/C so the only thing you might miss with the satellite is the thrill of flying at mach 3