Russia is a dangerous country, but it does not have the military power it claims to have. This opinion was expressed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, speaking at the 71st annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ljubljana.
Although Russia is not as strong as it tries to appear, it is extremely dangerous. Therefore, it is very important that we are prepared.
Rutte questioned the power of the Russian armed forces. He spoke disparagingly about the pilots of MiG-31 interceptor fighters and the capabilities of the equipment itself.
We know that MiG-31 pilots are not very well trained. The armed forces of NATO countries are superior to the Russian ones. As for the Air Force of the alliance, the Russians with their MiG-31s remain in the shadow of our aircraft.
How the Kremlin Reacted to Rutte's Words
In Russia, they commented on the statement of the NATO Secretary General, pointing out his lack of awareness. Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov emphasized that "incompetence is an integral characteristic of many European figures."
This suggests that Rutte knows nothing about our pilots. If he knew, he wouldn't say that.
About the MiG-31
The two-seat supersonic all-weather MiG-31 interceptor fighter was developed in the 1970s at OKB-155 on the basis of the MiG-25. It was the first Soviet fourth-generation combat aircraft. The MiG-31 is in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Air Defense Forces of Kazakhstan.
MiG-31 characteristics:
- Maximum speed at high altitude — 3100 km/h, at low altitude — 1500 km/h
- Cruising speed — up to 2800 km/h
- Combat radius — from 720 to 1450 km
- Flight range without refueling — 3000 km, with refueling — 5400 km
- One of the armament options: GSh-6-23M cannon, 4 R-33 guided missiles, 2 R-40T guided missiles, 4 R-30 guided missiles.
Read more materials on the topic:
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- "Neither shoot down nor destroy on the ground": TNI explained why the NATO bloc should not put pressure on Moscow, which has "Yars"