The development prospects for the MiG-31 remain, including in the direction of using hypersonic weapons. This was stated to "Pervy Tekhnichesky" by Nikolai Chikunov, a 1st category design engineer at the A.I. Mikoyan Design Bureau.
According to him, the unique combination of the aircraft's characteristics makes it in demand decades after its creation.
The same applies to hypersonic weapons. That is, the aircraft is unique, the platform is unique.
Chikunov noted that the capabilities of the MiG-31 are related to its speed and altitude characteristics. These are what allow the aircraft to be used as a carrier for specialized weapons.
Military expert Sergey Marzhetsky suggested that the prospective MiG could even shoot down satellites in low Earth orbit. But his forecasts are also skeptical – by all indications the project has turned into a long-term construction.
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