52 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - June 2018claimed its kill through the
use of two R-40 AAMs.
Iraqi Foxbats proved
equally successful
during their war
against Iran,
conducting numerous combat missions. Its
eight MiG-25RBs struck Tehran and Iranian
oil rigs, although at least one was downed
by an Israeli Hawk SAM when it strayed into
Israeli airspace. During the opening night of
Desert Storm an Iraqi MiG-25P downed a
US Navy F/A-18 Hornet, although this was
soon tempered by the loss of two Foxbats to
USAF F-15Cs a few days later.Foxbat Finale
When it entered service the Foxbat was the
height of Mikoyan’s technical capability, and
although the aircraft in some way did not
live up to all its expectations once the West
discovered ‘some’ of its secrets, the MiG-25
achieved more than just a speed of Mach3.0. It sent the West’s military into
panic, with analysts producing
classifi ed reports that in many
cases were not based on
factual evidence. It was a
scenario that was to happen
often during the Cold War, with Western
defence staff keen to ‘hype’ a Russian piece
of kit before knowing all the facts, in order to
achieve for their own funding for their
armed service.
While this doesn’t detract from what
Foxbats accomplished, it was in some way
ironic that the last remaining MiG-25s in
service where Russian reconnaissance Rs
that were quietly retired in December 2013,
at Monchegorsk Air Base in Russia’s vast
north-west territory. The Foxbat took the
aviation world by storm, and while details
of some sorties remain classifi ed to this
day it’s clear that we’ve yet to see another
operational Mach 3.0 interceptor enter wide
spread operational service. ■IN DETAIL...
Clad in partial pressure suits, the crew of a MiG-25BM Foxbat F
stand in front of their high altitude defence suppression aircraft.
The nose is painted to simulate a standard AI radome.A MiG-25R displays its full complement of nose camera ports.Awaiting take-off instructions from the tower are a MiG-25RBK (foreground) and a MiG-25RBS. The soft edge to
the Foxbats’ black anti-glare panel can be clearly seen. For most mission reconnaissance MiG-25s were fl own
clean in order to offer maximum performance.Confrontations between the US Navy and Libyan Air Force were
regular occurrences throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Foxbats routinely fl ew aggressive sorties against US carrier
battle groups operating in the Gulf region.claimed its kill through the 3.0. It sent the West’s military into
panic, with analysts producing
classifi ed reports that in manyThe patch worn by Indian Air Force Foxbat
pilots at the retirement of the MiG-25RBs in- One Foxbat was placed in the Indian
Air Force museum for display.
At least one Iraqi Air Force MiG-25RBK was brought back to the
United States in order to be displayed at the USAF museum.
Rumours persist that other examples were also brought back
and disappeared into various undisclosed intelligence agency
facilities.Libya was a major foreign recipient of Foxbats receiving
more than 60 examples. US Navy F-14 Tomcats intercepted
this Foxbat A over the Gulf of Sirte. It is carrying one infrared
(port) and on radar-homing (starboard) versions of the AA-6
missile. The MiGs were based in Tripoli during Colonel
Gaddafi ’s regime.A Ukrainian Air Force MiG-25RBS serves as a gate guardian
at a military base. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union
79 Foxbats entered limited service with the nation. But a lack
of spares and pilot currency soon saw the type withdrawn
from service.Indian Air Force received six MiG-25RBs, which served with
102 Squadron solely in the reconnaissance role. A pair of
MiG-25RUs was purchased to train Foxbat pilots. The MiGs
conducted reconnaissance fl ights over China.After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, much of the Libyan
Air Force had been destroyed, those aircraft had not been
bombed or wrecked on the ground were buried in the desert,
in the unlikely event that they could possibly be returned to
service at the end of the war.MIG 25 IN DETAIL.indd 6 04/05/2018 16:25