This monster can take you going over three time the speed of sound, and flying high to the edge of space (80,000 ft).  Actually it has held many unbroken records.  Flying at the altitude over 120,000 ft is one of them.  Mig-25 is a heavy long range interceptor, or  reconnaissance aircraft.  It was designed to encounter all air targets in all weather, day or night, and in dense hostile electronic warfare environment.  The airframe can constantly sustain to 4.5 g (for such an interceptor, it isn't neccessary for the aircraft to pull to 8g or 9g though).  The aircraft is a twin-finned high-wing monoplane with slightly swept wings and a variable angle tail plane.  It is powered by two R-15B-300 single shaft turbojets, arranged in the tail section of the fuselage.  The engines develop 11,200 kgf of thrust with fully selected afterburner. The engine's specific fuel consumption is 2.5 kg/kgf.h.  It can provide a maximum speed of 3,000 km/hour at high altitude. The maximum speed at low altitude is 1,200 km/hour.  The aircraft has a service ceiling of 22,500 metres.  The range at altitudes between 9 and 11 km with speed of Mach 0.85 is 1,950 km. At higher altitudes between 20 and 21 kilometres and speed Mach 2.35, the range is 1,650 km.  The aircraft's avionic is not really sophisticated.  It is fitted with electronic equipment, flight control and navigation aids.  Due to information from many source, Foxbat was designed to encounter the US bomber XB-70.  XB-70 was one of the US program of flying fast and hight.  Mig-25 was considered as an answer to XB-70.  Eventhough XB-70 was cancelled, MIG-MAPO still went ahead and finished their project.  Currently, there are hundreds of Foxbats service in many countries's Airforce.  Surprisingly, One of Iraq's Mig-25 successfully out-maneuvered a Nato's F-18 and shot it down then in Gulf War.  There is a rumour said that the Foxbat was flown by a Russian pilot.

   After Cold War was over, the West had a few chances to look closer this "monster".  They found out that there hadn't been any transistor used on the aircraft.  Foxbat was still equiped with vacuum tubes.  There are some sources said that Mig-25's engines were the result of a Russian cruise missle engine... (I have no idea).  Moreover they stated that the engines were not reliable, they frequently failed...  and even worse they can't constantly handle RPM changes... whatever the matter is, we can't find another interceptor which has equivalent performance to this one from the West.  Current time, Mig-25 has been replaced by Mig-31 - Foxhound.  It is a totally different story about this Russian modern interceptor.

Foxbat is equipted with cannon at all.  It relies on four R-40 (Nato Code AA-6 Acrid) air to air missle for defense.  The missles equipted with infared and homing heads.  The effective range against air target (fighter size) is up to 60km.  Also the aircraft can carry two R-40, combined with four R-60 (Nato Code AA-8 Aphid) or two R-23 (AA-Apex) and four R-73 (AA-11 Archer) which is condsidered as the best heat - seaking missle in the world.  R-73 Archer is superior to its analog US AIM-9 Side Wider due to the wide angle to lock on target and effective range.

    The derivatives of Foxbat, Mig-25RB have capability to carry out ground mission.  It can launch Kh-58 (Nato Code AS-11 Kilter) anti-radar missle from a stand off range, 40km to 300km.  After the missle launched the an autonomous controls system within the missle stabilises the missle in roll pitch, and yaw.

    Technical information:

      Manufacture:        Mikoyan - Gurevich OKB
      Designation:        Mig-25
      Nato Code           Foxbat
      Type                     Interceptor
      Crew                    One pilot
      Year                     1969
      Engine                 2 x R-15B-300, turbojet
      Wingspan           14.0 m
      Length                 19.8 m
      Height                  5.1 m
      Weight                 36720 kg/38500 kg
      Max. speed         3000 km/h (2.83M)
      Range                  1730 km
     Armament            4 x Air to air missles AA-6, AA-8
 
 

Mig-25 Foxbat with gears down

Mig-25 Foxbat at static

Mig-25 Foxbat closed up