A fighter with a speed of Mach 5? Along with the PAK DA strategic bomber, it may turn out to be the most technically advanced aircraft capable of going into near space. It sounds amazing, but this fighter may remain on the drawing board, the author notes.
Mark Episkopos
While there is an increase in serial production of the Su-57, Moscow is working on creating the foundations for the next generation of Russian combat aircraft.
This aircraft is commonly referred to as a low-profile interceptor of the "sixth generation" or PAK DP (it is also known as the MiG-41). We are talking about the planned successor to the Soviet MiG-31 fighter produced in large numbers ("Foxhound" according to the NATO codification). Ilya Tarasenko, CEO of Mikoyan Corporation, in an interview with Russian journalists in 2018, said that work on the MiG-41 fighter had already entered the "experimental stage of development", and added that it would take ten years to complete work on the PAK DP. Of course, "completion" is not the same as mass production, so it is not yet known how many PAK DP Mikoyan intends to produce and how quickly.
According to reports, work on the design of this fighter was completed at the end of 2019, and Tarasenko himself announced in the summer of 2020 that the PAK DP would be built on the basis of the MiG-31 fighter concept. Recent information indicates a significant leap in capabilities, and if the proposed concept is fully implemented, the new fighter will significantly bridge the 30-year gap separating these two aircraft. While the MiG-31 is capable of maintaining a speed of Mach 2.8 and its cruising speed is approximately Mach 2.3, the MiG-41 will easily surpass its predecessor, since its maximum speed is said to be Mach 4 - 4.3 and its cruising speed is Mach 3. However, some Russian commentators believe that its speed will be even 5 Mach.
In addition, the MiG-41 will be able to reach a much higher altitude, although the specific details on this matter remain vague. Many Russian military commentators are actively discussing whether the PAK DP will be able to go into near space, however, Tarasenko, in an interview with a RIA Novosti correspondent, said that the PAK DP will be able to operate in outer space.
Earlier it was reported that the Mikoyan company is studying the development of an unmanned version of the PAK DP, but such plans are unlikely to be implemented in the near future. Military expert Samuel Bendett earlier in an interview with a correspondent of the National Interest magazine noted: "Turning existing manned aircraft into unmanned versions requires significant efforts in the field of technology and resources, which are currently in short supply in Russia, including in the development of modern technologies for the creation of unmanned aerial vehicles."
There is still no accurate idea of the combat load of the PAK DP. Viktor Bondarev, a former commander of the Russian Air Force, told reporters earlier this year that the MiG-41 would be equipped with R-37 long-range air-to-air missiles, "as well as brand new missiles." Work on the creation of the R-37 missile began in the 1980s, and in its final form, after a long break in research and development, it was presented in 2019, however, its initial version, apparently, will be quite outdated at the moment when mass production of the MiG fighter begins-41. An upgraded and hypersonic version of the R-37M missile is currently under development, but its compatibility with the MiG-41 fighter will still have to be confirmed.
According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, the MiG-41 can receive a "multifunctional long-range interception missile system capable of hitting hypersonic munitions" with the help of several warheads. This concept, as noted by the Izvestia newspaper, is quite understandable: after the hypersonic projectile is detected by Russian ground radars, the MiG-41 fighter will launch a long-range interceptor missile. In flight, this missile will be divided into several smaller ones, which will then attack the launched projectile head-on. Russian military expert Dmitry Kornev believes that this system can also be used to destroy the carrier even before it launches its hypersonic missiles. The MiG-41 fighter interception system could add a significant new level to the Russian missile defense system, but it is not yet clear whether it is designed to combat intercontinental ballistic missiles or to destroy tactical hypersonic missiles.
The PAK DP fighter, along with the PAK DA strategic bomber, may turn out to be the most technically advanced aircraft. However, as is often the case with large Russian military projects, most of our information is based on published statements, insider leaks and expert analysis. Only the future will show how the PAK DP project will develop as it approaches the stage of mass production in the coming decades.
Mark Episkopos is the new National Interest columnist on national security issues.
