Special Sub-Topic: MiG31-Foxhound Click Here To Play: MiG31-Foxhound

First up, what does/did MiG stand for?

Mikoyan-Gurevich. MiG were initially founded by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich, and MiG was a contraction of their surnames. Now known as Mikoyan, MiG was privatised when the Soviet Union collapsed, but kept the MiG designator, and plans are currently in place to merge them with other aircraft makers such as Ilyushin, Sukhoi and others as a new company.

The MiG-31 first entered into service in 1979.

False. Production began in 1979, and the first aircraft entered into service in 1982 with the Soviet Anti-Air Defence. It was first photographed in flight in 1985.

Which of the following aircraft was the Foxhound's predecessor?

MiG-25 Foxbat. Western forces were understandably worried about the Foxbat, as it's punishing speed could keep up with anything and it could burn through any Electronic Countermeasures (ECM's) that were thrown at it. The downside was that it had very poor handling at low altitude, and burned through fuel at a phenomenal rate, thus reducing it's operational range.

The MiG-31 is a two-seater aircraft.

True. One seat for the pilot, the other for a Weapons Systems Officer (WSO).

What is the approximate top Mach speed of the Foxhound at sea-level?

Mach 1.22. At sea-level the Foxhound can travel at Mach 1.22 (approx 930mph).

And what is the approximate safe top Mach speed at high-ceiling level?

Mach 2.83. At it's high-ceiling level (approximately 67,000ft) the MiG-31 has been known to hit Mach 2.83, which is approximately a staggering 1,800mph. It has been known to push the Mach 3 barrier, but with too much significant risk to the airframe and engine use to use this in normal service life. No wonder the U.S. became worried when they heard about this aircraft! It is still one of the fastest interceptor/fighter aircraft around today.

The MiG-31 Foxhound carries four R-33(AA-9 'Amos') long-range air-to-air missiles (AAM's).

True. The variant MiG31M/BM carries six R-37(AA-X-13 'Arrow') long range AAM's.

Which of the following countries has never used the MiG-31?

North Korea. Surprising, considering the speed that it can travel at. But then again it does come down to how much it would cost, and these crates can be expensive.

Approximately how many MiG-31 aircraft were initially produced?

500. It is thought that about 370 still remain in service in Russia, with about another 30 serving in Kazakhstan.

And finally, just to test your knowledge. The MiG-31 was the first operational fighter aircraft to carry a passive electronically scanned array radar. Can you remember the name of this PESA radar?

Zaslon S-800. The Zaslon was the first ever electronically scanned radar in a fighter jet. It could track up to 10 targets at a maximum range of 200km, and attack up to four simultaneously with the AA-9 'Amos' missiles I mentioned earlier. Many thanks for playing this quiz, it is my first effort, so please take a few seconds to rate the quiz so I know if I'm doing a good job!