General Popov told what will be the feature of the MiG-41 fighter The project of the new Russian MiG-41 fighter has attracted the attention of American experts.
The publication The Nationl Interest told about this plane. The MiG-41 or PAK DP project (a promising long-range interception aviation complex) should replace the MiG-31 high-altitude fighters, its construction in Russia was announced back in 2013. "Newspaper.Ru" understood the specifics of this project.
"The Russian MiG-41 fighter will be an impressive machine. It will have not only supersonic, but even hypersonic speed. In addition, he will be able to move far away from the Earth. The MiG-41 will be able to perform tasks in space," The National Interest portal notes. At the same time, the author, American military expert Michael Peck, stipulates that "no one has seen the plane yet, and it will be ready to fly only in a few years."
The new project of the Russian MiG-41 long-range interception fighter has no less worthy predecessors. These are high-altitude and high-speed MiG-25 and MiG-31 fighters, the latter of which is still in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces. This is about 250 aircraft, of which some of the vehicles are carriers of hypersonic missiles "Dagger".
"This is the fear and horror of the entire NATO bloc," he told the newspaper.En" military expert, Major General Vladimir Popov. - An aircraft that exceeds the speed of anti-aircraft missiles in terms of its speed characteristics already poses a certain danger. In the presence of hypersonic missiles, it is already an irresistible killer for any purpose. The MiG-31 has become a unique machine in all respects. The new modification, in the MiG-41 variant, will have improved characteristics. The development of a high-altitude fighter-interceptor has been underway since 2013. The project differs from previous versions - it will carry weapons not on pylons, but inside the hull. In addition, it will be equipped with a powerful radar."
"The purpose of the promising MiG-41 interceptor is to detect and destroy ballistic and cruise missiles, various aircraft, ranging from low-flying drones to low-flying orbital satellites," he told the newspaper.Ru" military expert Vladislav Shurygin. - It is capable of successfully hitting American F-22 and F-35 fighters. The interceptor fighter shoots down aerial targets that it is able to detect at a distance of up to 280 km - thanks to an antenna with an active phased array, which is not available in a complete set on any other aircraft in the world."
The interceptor carries up to nine tons of combat load, its arsenal will include various types of ammunition, including long-range missiles, with which it can strike independently, without external targeting. In this case, the MiG can be a "flying command post".
Even at the stage of experimental scientific work on the MiG-41, in August 2018, the CEO of the MiG Corporation Ilya Tarasenko said that technologically a completely new aircraft will fly at speeds of 4-5 Mach, that is, over 6000 km / h, and perform tasks in near space. It is known that a manned vehicle is also being developed on its basis with the prospect of switching to the production of a basic unmanned version.
The volume and exact characteristics of the weapons remain undisclosed, but it can be assumed that the newest MiG-41 will certainly inherit the Dagger aviation complex with a hypersonic missile from the MiG-31BM, which is capable of overcoming all existing and promising air defense systems-missile defense of a likely enemy at a range of up to 2000 km.
Earlier, former commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Viktor Bondarev told reporters that the MiG-41 will carry long-range R-37 air-to-air missiles, "as well as brand new missiles."
"Judging by the design characteristics and images of promising aircraft, the MiG-41 fighter is being created on the principle of a flying wing. This will ensure high maneuverability. It must be remembered here that the MiG-31 interceptor withstands prolonged dynamic and temperature loads due to the design of a robust body consisting of 50% steel, 33% aluminum alloys and 16% titanium. These characteristics will obviously be preserved, and perhaps even improved," adds Sergei Belousov, a member of the Board of Military Experts.
Victor Sokirko
