MiG 25 FOXBAT-End of an era

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Early next month the Indian Air Force will be retiring from service its squadron of one of the world’s best high altitude reconnaissance aircraft, the super secret MiG 25, code named FOXBAT by NATO.
It was the only High Altitude Strategic Reconnaissance aircraft in the world, other than the American SR-71, to fly routinely to the edge of space to take quality photographs over varied terrain.

www.hindu.com...

Introduced into service in 1981, the planes, equipped with powerful cameras and sensors, were part of the 106 Trisonics squadron at Bareilly in Northern India.

I remember, in the early 90s, whilst stationed at Bareilly, it used to be a glorious site to see the FOXBATs taking off with a thunderous roar, their after-burners lighting up the midnight sky, streaking up to the edge of space to fly sorties over Pakistan and China. At a cruising altitude of almost 80,000 feet, they were well above radar cover and SAM range.

Now with these tasks being performed by her own remote sensing satellites with resolutions of two meters and less, and other autonomous platforms, the FOXBAT’s time has finally come to say adieu.
Undoubtedly, the end of an unforgettable era.

A super aircraft, that has carved a niche for itself in the annals of
aviation history.

A pic of the monster 30 ton Strategic Recon 2.5 Mach, FOXBAT of the Indian Air Force.

I believe that this already has been posted... I tried to find the linkey, but i was unable to find it...

That MiG-25 sure is a nice plane, and very feared in the western world...

its a shame, sounds like a good plane.

Would it not be useful to have some of these as well as spy satelites?

Justin

Well, That is all that the Aurora theory is about... recon supremacy...

Originally posted by Figher Master FIN
I believe that this already has been posted... I tried to find the linkey, but i was unable to find it...

That MiG-25 sure is a nice plane, and very feared in the western world...

Fighter Master,
You're right. It was posted yesterday but Fred hauled it off the board as I had forgotten to provide the link, which I have done now.

You had also posted two excellent pics of the FOXBAT yesterday.
Can we have them again?
Thanx.

Not really an end of an era, the MIG-31 is its updated version.

Alredy covered !!!

For details/photos >> www.abovetopsecret.com...&singlepost=2130759

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More from : www.abovetopsecret.com...&singlepost=1880027 (posted on 13-12-2005) on the IAF thread


Russia offers to trade India's old Mig-25's with new Mig-31's

RSK MiG has India to exchange its small fleets of MiG-25s for new MiG-31 interceptors in buy-back deals that would support the design bureau’s bid to extend MiG-25 operations for Libya and Syria.

RSK MiG says it is offering two MiG-25 users a trade-in deal that would enable them to acquire new-build MiG-31s to be produced at Sokol’s Nizhny Novgorod plant in exchange for their ageing MiG-25s. The offer is believed to have been made to Algeria and India, which are expected to withdraw their entire MiG-25R/U fleets within the next three to five years. Should the countries accept the offer, their MiG-25s will be disassembled and used as spare parts to sustain Libyan and Syrian aircraft.

Full article >>

The Indian Mig-25's moment of glory .... as F-16's watch helplessly ....

Article from Air Power International By Peter Steinemann :

In May 1997, an Indian Force (IAF) Mikoyan MiG-25RB Foxbat-B reconnaissance aircraft created a furore when the pilot flew faster than Mach 2 over Pakistani territory following a reconnaissance mission into Pakistan airspace. The Foxbat broke the sound barrier while flying at an altitude of around 65,000 feet, otherwise the mission would have remained covert, at least to the general public.

The Pakistan Government considered the breaking of the sound barrier as deliberate: to make the point that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has no aircraft in its inventory which can come close to the cruising height of the MiG-25 (up to 74,000 feet).

However, from one of PAF's Forward Operating Bases, radar traced the intruder and the F-16As scrambled. Sources in the PAF said that there was no need to intercept a plane flying at the altitude of 65,000 feet as the F-16 can reach an operating ceiling of 55,000 feet.

Full article >>

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

The Indian Mig-25's moment of glory .... as F-16's watch helplessly ....

Article from Air Power International By Peter Steinemann :

In May 1997, an Indian Force (IAF) Mikoyan MiG-25RB Foxbat-B reconnaissance aircraft created a furore when the pilot flew faster than Mach 2 over Pakistani territory following a reconnaissance mission into Pakistan airspace. The Foxbat broke the sound barrier while flying at an altitude of around 65,000 feet, otherwise the mission would have remained covert, at least to the general public.

The Pakistan Government considered the breaking of the sound barrier as deliberate: to make the point that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has no aircraft in its inventory which can come close to the cruising height of the MiG-25 (up to 74,000 feet).

However, from one of PAF's Forward Operating Bases, radar traced the intruder and the F-16As scrambled. Sources in the PAF said that there was no need to intercept a plane flying at the altitude of 65,000 feet as the F-16 can reach an operating ceiling of 55,000 feet.

Stealth, you're gonna create a backlash from American diehards!
F-16 'watch helplessly' as the FOXBATS cock a snook at them!!

Amusing, to say the least!

comon the (i am an Indian obvious) Airforce are phasing out the mig 21 and mig 23 for starters.coz they r much older than mig 25 (of course).no one can just rely on satellites for info... what if the sats are konked out???(you dont know what happens next-happened before ) mig 25 can be upgraded for mig 31 both are same in design mig 25 you can call it the original aircraft which shook the Americans..mig 31 you can say it is upgraded version of mig 25...with better avonics and did you know the mig 25 was inaccurate in firing machine guns and at low atlitude hard to control (the main thing).... well.you got mig 31 ...(its just and upgrade)nothings gonna happen....coz i have a member in the famliy whos in the airforce..

Satellites konk out ?!!! Preposterous!!! ..
I don't recall any ISRO sats konking off in orb prematurely. There were loads of failed launches in the early 1990s but thats all sorted out now aye?
C'mon the MiG 25s are not in the same shape as the MiG 23s or MiG 21s. At leat these fighters are undergoing upgraed programs and their older versions are on their way out in the next few years anyways.

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

RSK MiG says it is offering two MiG-25 users a trade-in deal that would enable them to acquire new-build MiG-31s to be produced at Sokol’s Nizhny Novgorod plant in exchange for their ageing MiG-25s.

Ahhh... I feel nostalgic as hell... I was born only 25 miles to the east from the that plant... We saw test flights of newly built MIG planes a few times a day, right above our heads. Sometimes they would fly really low, especially when making a turn right over my house. I remember two crashes, one in the woods about 4 miles away (I saw the debris my friends picked from the ground) and another one in the city -- the pilot died as he ejected way too late, trying to steer the plane away from major buildings).




[edit on 14-4-2006 by Aelita]

I remember the foxbat as the plane that killed the b-58 hustler because of propaganda and hype that it was an invensible interceptor that could cruise at mach 3 and out turn an f-15. Turns out it was hyped to spur us defense spending into the direction of low flying bombers like the B-1. And the truth is that it would not turn well enough to be an effective fighter. Guess that is why it was being used for recon in india.

reply to post by mikesingh


I used the brutal MiG-25 to advantage in my novel THE HIVE.

Check this out. www.freewebs.com...