The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) has about 300 MiG-31 interceptor fighters in service, according to the AviaComments Telegram channel.
Military expert Alexander Sinyugin said that the Russian army still does not have an aircraft faster than this machine from the 70s.
The MiG-31 remained in service, and today it perfectly fulfills its tasks, even not as an interceptor fighter, but as a fighter that perfectly strikes with the same Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
The specialist emphasized that all modern and Western aircraft created after the collapse of the USSR are slower than the MiG.
Aircraft designers realized that the average speed of a fighter should be about two and a half thousand kilometers per hour. In this mode, the aircraft has an optimal combat radius and fuel consumption.
What will the pilot do at a speed higher than a missile? In addition, missiles are already reaching hypersonic speeds. What speed should the plane fly at? This is, in principle, already an astronaut, not a pilot.
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