MiG-25P

The PVO procured quite a wide variety of aircraft during the cold war, and while the common view is that “all of them are interceptors,” such a concept is rooted in the designs of World War 2. The idea of an interceptor being a purpose built aircraft that sacrifices all other characteristics in exchange for time to climb and a powerful weapons suite to engage bombers, holds only partially true when you get beyond the aircraft of the early 60s. As aircraft evolved at an incredible rate in regards capability, it became easier to optimise one fighter to fill all air to air roles to a degree. While it is true that an aircraft still needs to be optimised to a specific sub regime of flight and combat, it was no longer an absolute that all else be sacrificed for climb rates. In this somewhat more informal thread, hopefully the first of many on the road to a full PVO article, I aim to explain the conceptual differences in design and purpose of the main aircraft of the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) during the mid 1970s and onwards.

With an ass like that, no wonder the Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat loved to chase U.S. SR-71's...

While Russia enjoyed bragging that the Foxbat could hit Mach 3 and intercept the SR-71, in reality that was only sustainable for a few minutes before pilots had to throttle back because of control issues. However, for Russian pilots, it was all worth it for a rocket ride and at least the hope that they raised the blood pressure of a few SR-71 pilots... 😉