Russian build-up along the Ukrainian border continues.
According
to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Russian
Federation is continuing to amass forces at the border, including radar
stations and Mig-31 Foxhound combat planes, interceptors capable of a maximum speed of Mach 2.83.
An
unspecified amount of Mig-31s based at Perm have been deployed to
Millerovo airfield, in the Rostov region, close to the border with
Ukraine, a sign that Moscow may be preparing to actively control the
airspace over Luhansk Oblast.
The MiG-31 is a two-seater derivative of the MiG-25 in service since 1983. Designed to face U.S. supersonic strategic bombers flying at low altitude (B-1B bomber), the MiG-31 has quite good low-level capabilities and features a radar with look-down-shoot-down capability.
Equipped with a HUD (Head-Up Display), the Foxhound is older and less
maneuverable than Mig-29 and Su-27, but it is still an amazing
interceptor, with a top speed of Mach 2.83 and an operational range of
1,450 km.
Although the production of the Mig-31 ended in the early
1990s, the Foxhound interceptor is being upgraded to extend its
operative life up to the 2028 – 2030, until a replacement will be
available.
In the meanwhile, the Russian Air Force has plans to base the aircraft at Tiksi airfield, located on Russia’s Arctic Ocean coast.
According to Ukrainian Government,
along with Migs and radars, Russian tanks have been reported crossing
the border, whereas hundred pieces of military equipment have been
deployed by the Russian Federation inside Ukraine.
Image credit: Dmitriy Pichugin/Wikipedia
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