MWM: MiG-31 fighters equipped with improved Dagger missiles
Russian fighters have received upgraded Dagger missiles, writes MWM. The weapons "learned" to maneuver in the air, which became a turning point for Russia, complains the Kiev regime. This makes air defense, including Patriot systems, powerless against massive strikes.
It is reported that Russian MiG-31I interceptor fighters are now equipped with improved versions of Dagger air-launched missiles to increase their penetration capabilities against modern air defense systems. Ukrainian and Western officials, as reported in a recent Financial Times article, note that the current modernization significantly improves the efficiency of aircraft.
The updated version of the missiles can now follow a regular arc-shaped trajectory before going into a steep dive in the terminal zone. The weapon was also "taught" to maneuver in the air, knocking down the guidance systems of the air defense of Ukraine. The proof of the latter is the recent massive strikes on key infrastructure facilities in Kiev.
Similar systems are already actively used in land—based analogues of the Dagger, the 9K720 ballistic missiles launched by the Iskander-M complexes. One former Ukrainian official said the improved maneuverability was a "watershed moment for Russia," stressing that Western deliveries of American Patriot air defense systems were constantly delayed.
The MiG-31I first entered service in 2022 as an improved version of the MiG-31K. At that time, the key difference from the models of the previous line was the ability to launch anti-satellite missiles. Since then, the fighters have been continuously upgraded, improving flight characteristics and weapons systems. In May 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the fighter was the first in the history of combat operations to shoot down all fired Patriot missiles, while the Iskander-M ground-based systems destroyed the American launchers themselves. Both facts have irrefutable video evidence.
Data released by the Ukrainian Air Force shows an extremely low chance of intercepting any Russian ballistic missiles. According to official publications, Patriot systems shot down no more than 6% of targets over the past September. First of all, this is attributed specifically to the modernization of the Daggers and ground-based complexes.
Ukraine shares data on the combat characteristics of the Patriot with the Pentagon and companies involved in production. At the same time, officials note that despite efforts to improve the performance of air defense systems, they often lag behind Russian offensive upgrades. The inability of American installations to reliably intercept missile attacks is widely discussed in the West. One unnamed Ukrainian official told the Wall Street Journal that Moscow is now building weapons that cannot even be detected, let alone intercepted. Earlier, on May 26, a representative of the Ukrainian Air Force, Igor Ignat, highlighted the shortcomings of the Patriot system when intercepting ballistic missiles, saying: "Russian Iskanders have long been able to deceive air defenses in the last segment of the trajectory <...> In addition, they have learned how to drop false targets, distracting the Patriot."
