Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Military TV.
In today’s session, we will discuss How MiG jets terrified and still terrifying NATO. If you are
curious on what type of MiG jets they are, stay tuned and watch this video till the end!
Number one, MiG-15
The MiG-15 with NATO designation name as Fagot is a single-seat, single-engine Soviet jet fighter,
which was built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau and first flown in 1947.
As the grandfather of Soviet jet aircraft and one of the best MiG fighters, it is
the most-produced jet fighter in history, with nearly 18,000 aircraft made globally. This jet,
which was designed immediately after WWII, gave it finest shot during the Korean War, where it fought
the American F-85 Sabre in multiple duels. These two jets were formidable opponents for each other,
the Sabre was more effective at low altitude, meanwhile the MiG had an advantage higher up.
The MiG-15 is responsible for one of the darkest chapters in US Air Force history,
known as “Black Thursday.” On Oct. 23, 1951, Soviet pilots shot down eight B-29A Superfortress
strategic bombers and two F-84 escort fighters, losing just one aircraft in the process.
Number two, MiG-21 MiG-15 With 11,496 units built, the MiG-21 fighter
is the most-produced supersonic jet in history. Due to its mass production, it had a low price.
One MiG-21 cost less than one BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle. Moreover, the MiG-21 is a
notable aircraft that has served in 65 nations throughout the world. Despite the fact that it
first flew almost 60 years ago, several countries such as Angola, Egypt, and Vietnam still continue
using it. Among several battles and wars in which the MiG-21 served, the Vietnam War was its peak.
Despite being outmanned by the US Air Force, Vietnamese pilots produced exceptional results,
165 air victories and 65 aircraft lost. On Jan. 3, 1968, pilot Ha Van Chuc went up against 36
American planes in his MiG-21 and shot down a wing commander.
Number three, MiG-25 MiG-21 MiG-15 This supersonic interceptor was developed as
a countermeasure to the American B-58 jet bomber, which was able to break through Soviet defences
and launching nuclear attacks. The MiG-25 was also designed to intercept the new Lockheed SR-71
reconnaissance aircraft, which were challenging to intercept with the slow MiG-21 and Su-15 aircraft
in service in the mid-1960s. Moreover, the MiG-25 fighter jet produced in 1964 was able to terrified
NATO and the United States. The reason is, this fighter aircraft is still faster than other
fighter aircraft even from the fourth and fifth generations. NATO refers this jet as the Foxbat
and is considered the world's fastest fighter jet. Interestingly, its turbojet design allows
the aircraft to reach speeds of Mach 2.8 around 3,500 km/hour under operational conditions,
or even Mach 3.2 nearly 4,000 km/hour. The speed of the aircraft combined with
its possible manoeuvrability seems to leave Western-made aircraft far behind.
However, after a Soviet pilot defected to Japan with his MiG-25 in 1976, the aircraft
was tested. It was later discovered that the plane lacked a firing radar system, and was
not manoeuvrable enough to outperform its rivals. Additionally, the interceptor was dismantled and
examined by American specialists before being returned to the Soviets. Since all its secrets
had been revealed to the potential enemy, the MiG-25’s equipment had to be urgently replaced.
Number four, MiG-31 MiG-25 MiG-21 MiG-15 The MiG-31 entered service in 1981 and was the
first fourth generation combat aircraft to join the Soviet military. This aircraft is considered
the most capable in the Russian Air Force today in terms of air-to-air combat performance.
Actually, the platform was developed based on the MiG-25 Foxbat third generation interceptor,
and was dubbed ’Super Foxbat’. Interestingly, the MiG-31 had an extremely long range and was the
first aircraft of its kind in the world capable of sustained cruising at supersonic speeds.
What seems to be important is that the MiG-31 was built to be a home-defense interceptor,
and was neither exported nor used in combat. But Moscow maintains hundreds of the fighters
in its inventory as parts of its multi-layered air defense network, and will continue to do
so for years to come. The Foxhound gained a dark reputation in NATO intelligence reports,
owing to ambiguous but glowing intelligence claims on its capabilities. It’s no wonder why
these interceptors are very impressive. In fact, even now NATO is wary of them.
Number five, MiG-29 MiG-31 MiG-25 MiG-21 MiG-15 The MiG-29 began development in 1974 with the goal
of being an advanced lightweight multirole fighter capable of operating from remote
airfields at the frontlines of the Cold War. The first MiG-29s became operational in 1982
and were codenamed “Fulcrums” by NATO. This jet was the first Russian fourth-generation
jet fighter, distinguished by its sleek and deadly appearance in contrast to earlier Soviet fighters.
The fast and agile Fulcrum could outturn any NATO fighter, and it was armed with advance missiles.
The MiG-29 is one of the best modern fighters, and is currently in use by 28 countries. It’s
relatively low price meant it initially attracted extensive sales to developing countries, By the
1990s, western pilots had ample opportunity to fly MiG-29s as the German Air Force incorporated
the MiG-29s of East Germany. Later, the United States even bought twenty-one from Moldova.
Interestingly, the dual RD-33 turbofan engines provided the MiG-29 outstanding acceleration
and a top speed of Mach 2.25, which was faster than the F-16 but slower than the larger F-15.
The MiG-29’s chief claim to fame is its superb maneuverability. It can even outperform the
light-footed F-16 in both instantaneous and sustained turns (twenty-eight degree per second
versus twenty-six). NATO pilots that practiced against the German Air Force Fulcrums serving
in JG 73 found that in short-range dogfights at low speeds the MiG-29 was more agile than
anything they threw at it. These probably the reasons why these jet seems terrifying NATO!
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