In recent days and weeks, tension in Europe has been palpable. To the incursion of Russian drones recorded in Poland ten days ago, an entire series of episodes has been added, prompting NATO to launch Operation Eastern Sentry, reinforced with fighter jets, support aircraft, early warning platforms, and additional personnel on its eastern flank.
Yesterday, a Cold War-era combat aircraft—born from the brilliance of the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau—was at the center of the violation of Estonian airspace. Known as the MiG-31, or Foxhound by NATO, it is one of the most specialized aircraft of its class, whose original and primary role was that of a dedicated interceptor, hunting down targets attempting to penetrate Soviet—now Russian—airspace. Despite its decades in service, it put all of Europe on alert as it flew unimpeded for twelve minutes in skies controlled by the world’s largest military alliance. What follows is a brief overview of its history.
The successor to the Foxbat
Based on the experience with the MiG-25—designated Foxbat by NATO—Soviet commanders realized that, despite its great interception speed, the aircraft had serious shortcomings in terms of maneuverability and was very difficult to fly at low speeds. It was clear that a replacement was needed to address these design flaws while capitalizing on the experience gained during its development and production.
Thus, in September 1975, the skies of the then-Soviet Union saw the first flight of the MiG-31 prototype, designated Ye-155MP. Despite some similarities with its predecessor, the Foxhound’s most evident features were its two-seat configuration, designed to accommodate a radar systems operator who guided the array of medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles it carried for its crucial interceptor mission.
Like the MiG-25, the USSR’s vast geography and long distances required speed and acceleration to be pushed to the extreme, as its primary role upon entering service in May 1981 was to intercept strategic bombers and cruise missiles in order to defend high-value strategic targets.
In those early years, the MiG-31 relied on its speed—reaching Mach 2.83 at high altitude thanks to its two massive Soloviev D-30F6 turbofan engines (giving the aircraft a maximum takeoff weight of 46 tons)—as well as on a powerful radar.
The “eyes” of the interceptor were based on the RP-31 Zaslon passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar, making the MiG-31 the first combat aircraft equipped with this cutting-edge technology at the time. Its armament notably included the long-range Vympel R-33 missiles, with a range of nearly 110 kilometers. It could also be fitted with R-33S missiles carrying nuclear warheads, specially designed for the Foxhound.
The MiG-31 in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces and Navy
After the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Foxhound entered service with the Russian Air Force, later becoming part of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in 2015, performing the same missions. However, despite the introduction of different variants, by the mid-2000s it became evident that the aircraft required a modernization program, leading to the introduction of the MiG-31BM version (or Foxhound-C, as designated by NATO).
This variant, produced at the Sokol aviation plant in Nizhny Novgorod, involved upgrading many of the surviving airframes in the best condition, with the installation of new avionics systems. Notable improvements included replacing the original Zaslon radar with the more modern Zaslon-AM, with a detection range of nearly 240 kilometers.
In terms of weaponry, it received new versions of the long-range R-37M air-to-air missiles, as well as the medium-range R-77-1 (AA-12 Adder) and short-range R-73 missiles.
However, Russian military authorities also envisioned a new role for the interceptor: exploiting its speed to penetrate enemy airspace and strike high-value targets.
The new MiG-31 and Kh-47M2 Kinzhal pairing
Over the last decade, the Russian Armed Forces have become pioneers in the use of air-launched ballistic missiles, a trend that has shifted from experimental to operational, with similar programs now being pursued by both the U.S. Air Force and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
By 2017, the new 9-A-7760 Kinzhal hypersonic missile, based on the 9K720 Iskander ballistic missile, was confirmed to have entered service. Its launch platform is the MiG-31K, a derivative of the MiG-31BM adapted for this new strike role.
As noted by then-commander of the VKS, General Sergei Surovikin, who held the post until August 2023: “…the Kinzhal system substantially increases the capabilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces to respond to any possible act of aggression against our country and, together with other strategic weapon systems, will help deter potential adversaries from rash actions… The high-speed fixed-wing platform allows a missile with unique performance characteristics to be launched within minutes. The main propulsion unit mounted on the aero-ballistic missile accelerates a warhead to hypersonic speed within seconds. The missile’s maneuvering at speeds many times faster than sound enables it to easily evade all existing or developing air defense and ballistic missile defense systems.”
Russian rhetoric did not remain mere words, as this pairing was employed in combat during the invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022, being deployed in strikes against Ukrainian strategic targets from Long-Range Aviation Regiments.
Finally, as mentioned earlier, this brief overview is not meant to be a detailed history of the MiG-31, but rather a snapshot for readers given the aircraft’s role in recent events in Estonia. It is worth noting that, according to estimates, when adding up all versions in service with both the VKS and the Navy, the Russian Armed Forces currently operate an estimated 100+ Foxhounds—a figure that has been reduced due to attrition from over three years of conflict, as well as losses in operational accidents.
While the MiG-31K’s primary role is striking targets with Kinzhal missiles, in addition to bomber escort—as evidenced in the recently concluded ZAPAD 2025 exercise—the MiG-31BM’s main mission remains guarding the vast northern expanses of Russia, from Murmansk and Moscow, across the Siberian steppe, to the coasts of the Kamchatka Peninsula and into the Pacific, defending the bases there, most notably the major naval base at Vladivostok.
*Original text in Spanish: Juan José Roldán.
Cover photo via @hira_den
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