Mig-25 vs SR-71

I have heard mixed reviews on the top speeds of the Mig-25 'Foxbat' and the SR-71 'Blackbird'. Some say the Foxbat is faster but most say the Blackbird is. I do understand that the Foxbat was designed to intercept the supersonic XB-70 Valkerye. Meanwhile the SR-71 is a recon and surviellence aircraft. Now theoretically, could the foxbat intercept an incoming SR-71 with AAMs??? Another thing is: Was the A/F-12 designed to have a possible missle bay???

Well, the SR-71 can fly at 2,000 mph, which is Mach 3. The MiG-25 supposedly can fly at Mach 3 as well, but I think the SR-71 is faster.

As for the interception, it depends on when exactly the SR-71 pilot will decide to take evasive maneuvars. Making evasive maneuvers at medium to long-range is useless since the missile will do very little adjusting at such range.

So theoretically, it is possible, but if the SR-71 responds at the right moment, it could turn out of it. There is now way it could outrun the missile (missiles go up to Mach 5).

As for the A-12, I think it did have internal weapons bays.

i'd say the sr-71, because i reckon it goes faster than the military lets on

The thing about the foxbat is that it can reach almost mach 3 about mach 2.8 but only for a few minutes the SR-71 does mach 3+ for hours. Mach 3.3 sustained flight,Some people have reporting almost touching 4(which has no proof). The ceiling ability of the blackbird is also considerably higher then that of the foxbat.

The SR-71 is widely regarded as the fastest plane ever built. I think the proof is in the fact that no mig ever touched the Blackbird in the coldwar.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
The thing about the foxbat is that it can reach almost mach 3 about mach 2.8 but only for a few minutes the SR-71 does mach 3+ for hours.

Shadow is correct. The Mig-25 could hit Mach 3 but it in essence toasted its huge Tumanski turbines. When top speeds are quoted there are several factors in it. One is the fact that the plane is in clean configuration, no external stores etc. It also, burst speed not cruise. The F-15 can reach Mach 2.5+ but it regures full burner and it would be out of fuel pretty quickly. Nor could its airframe stand the heat soaking of Mach 2.5+ for several hours. Same for the Mig 25. The Mig is a killer piece of hardware like its cousin the Mig-31, but the Blackbird could cruise at those speeds for hours.

You might find this interesting you can fly a Mig-25 in Russia for a few thousand dollars. The edge of space adventure

"We've got a seat reserved for you in the cockpit of this amazing supersonic high altitude interceptor. It's capable of Mach 3.2 and rockets to a height of over 80,000 feet - to the edge of space where the sky is black above and blue below. "

Thats the first I ever heard of it doing mach 3.2, so I could be wrong. But from the accounts of people that did this say they got it up to mach 2.8 and 2.5 so who knows.

This looks like the trip of a lifetime though very cool. Forget the cruise I want to fly a mig-25

www.incredible-adventures.com...


[edit on 19-10-2004 by ShadowXIX]

The YF-12 was the fighter version and could carry three AA missiles. Here's some background on it.

www.sr-71.org...

They also have some outfil called Migs over Moscow. You can fly the Mig-25 to over 100000+ feet, or do some ACM in a SU-27. Man if I had 20K buring a whole in my pocket or talk the wife into it id be all over both. You get to keep the helmet and filght suit to boot!

Originally posted by FredT
They also have some outfil called Migs over Moscow. You can fly the Mig-25 to over 100000+ feet, or do some ACM in a SU-27. Man if I had 20K buring a whole in my pocket or talk the wife into it id be all over both. You get to keep the helmet and filght suit to boot!

Man that would be so cool I think I will have to put off vacations for a few years and save up for this. That would be something I would remember for a lifetime.

Atleast this is something a average person can save up for compared to the $200,000 a spaceshipone flight will cost when they come on the market.100,000 ft for a tenth of the price

The MIG-25 Foxbat is capable of Mach 3.2 for the recon version and mach 2.8 for the others, this is with afterburner of course. Of course if a Foxbat was carrying external weapons going at mach 2.8 it would have its wings ripped off.

Originally posted by mad scientist
The MIG-25 Foxbat is capable of Mach 3.2 for the recon version and mach 2.8 for the others, this is with afterburner of course. Of course if a Foxbat was carrying external weapons going at mach 2.8 it would have its wings ripped off.

Ah so there was different versions that makes sense for the top speeds. Mach 3.2 though that has to be a record for fastest fighter plane.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX

Ah so there was different versions that makes sense for the top speeds. Mach 3.2 though

that has to be a record for fastest fighter plane.

Yes, it would be the fatstest fighter plane except it carried no armament, it only had a camera in the nose.

Did it atleast have a gun? Fastest plane with a gun perhaps.

Such a disappointment that the SR-71 wasn't some kind of super high speed Nuclear attack aircraft, it is by far the best looking plane in the world. Could the SR-71 be fitted with external weapons ? is this possible ??!??!

Originally posted by P_38lightning
Mig-25 vs SR-71

SR-71 will win

but it would be different story if it was MiG-31 vs. SR-71.
thats the reason why blackbirds stopped flying over ussr

Mig-31 can cruise at Mach 2.35

Originally posted by Kenshin



Such a disappointment that the SR-71 wasn't some kind of super high speed Nuclear attack aircraft, it is by far the best looking plane in the world. Could the SR-71 be fitted with external weapons ? is this possible ??!??!

do google search for YF-12, its armed with 3 'AIM-47 Falcons'

Definetly the MiG-31 would take down the SR-71 with ease, I think its maximum speed is Mach 2.83 but if modified I recon it could get to Mach 3.
Its R-33 AA-9 Amos's are more than capable of destroying the SR-71

Originally posted by Kenshin
Definetly the MiG-31 would take down the SR-71 with ease, I think its maximum speed is Mach 2.83 but if modified I recon it could get to Mach 3.
Its R-33 AA-9 Amos's are more than capable of destroying the SR-71

As said earlier, the Mig-31 can only fly that fast for mere minutes, not hours as the SR-71 does.
Also, the SR-71 flies almost twice as high, so it would shoot down an SR-71 'with ease' as you put it.

In theory the Mig-31 could take out a Blackbird. In practice it would be extremely difficult.

As it was pointed out, niether of these Migs could sustain the flight speeds of the Blackbird, so the Blackbird would simply out run it. But, let's assume somehow that the Mig took a perfect course to intercept the Blackbird, we must then look at the weapons it would have to use against the Blackbird.

The aircraft avionics enables the use of missiles with radar- and IR-homing heads. The FOXHOUND carries the long-range AA-9 air-to-air missiles, and can engage 4 different targets simultaneouly with the M-9.The MiG-31 aircraft weapons mix comprises four R-33, four R-60M and two R-40T missiles and a GSh-6-23 built-in gun.

GS.org

From what I have found, it seems the AA-9 is the only weapon able to engage the Blackbird.

The R-33 long-range missile was created for arming MiG-31 fighter-interceptors. It became operational in 1980 and is capable of engaging SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, B-52 and B-1 bombers, aircraft of front and transport aviation, and also helicopters and cruise missiles.

Global Security

However, one must keep in mind that the ability to engage a target does not equal the ability to have a probable or even moderate chance of actually hitting the target. The reason for this is that when an enemy aircraft is flying at Mach 3, the missle must catch up to the aircraft and track it.

Everytime the blackbird would turn, it would send it hundreds of miles off course of the missle, and the missle would then have to compinsate. All the while, the missle would be burning it's fuel. Even if it has a several hundred mile range, say 300 for arguments sake, the Blackbird would cover that distance in just 9 minutes. So basically, the missle which probably travels in the low Mach 4 range, would have at best around 9 minutes to intercept an aircraft that can put itself off a projected course by 10 miles in just 11 seconds!

So in this mans (admitedly amature) opinion, the Mig-31 could take down an SR-71 in theory, but the circumstance would have to be such that it would be unrealistic in real world situations.

I would be intrested to see what some of the other aircraft buffs say about this one.

While the theory of a Mig 25 intercepting an SR-71 makes sense, when you plug all of the variables in, the odds favor the SR-71 very strongly. Let look at some of the facts:

Fact #1: The Mig can only fly at mach 3 for a few breif minutes, but the Blackbird cruses at mach 3

This means the SR-71 would be increasing the distance between the mig and itself, while the mig is still picking up speed. Once the mig is at Mach 3 the distance would remain fixed, because two objects moving at the same speed and in the same direction will remain equally spaced.

Fact #2: The Blackbird uses first generation stealth

The weapon engagement envelopes are smaller so the Mig needs to be close by to engage the Blackbird

Fact #3: the Blackbird does have ECM gear

ECM can counter guided weapons. to intercept a missile needs to track it's target. All the blackbird needs to do is counter the weapon's tracking systems long enough to make a small change of course, and it can escape.

Tim
ATS Director of Counter-Ignorance