New Russian MiG Interceptor To Be Ready By 2020

MiG Corporation, the developer of Russia’s cutting-edge interceptor aircraft, is expected to begin deliveries of MiG-41s in the mid-2020s, Sputnik reports.

The research and development of the PAK DP, perspective aviation complex of long-range interceptor launched in 2013, dubbed MiG-41, is expected to replace the aging long-range interceptor MiG-31 and its variants whose active service life expires in 2028.

"The PAK DP is a logical development of our MiG-31 aircraft. Once contacted by the Defense Ministry, we will take up this project closely and I think that its deliveries will begin in the mid-2020s," Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG Director General Ilya Tarasenko told Sputnik at the Army-2017 forum last week.

Tarasenko stressed that the new interceptor will not be the product of the complete modernization of the MiG-31, but will be a "completely new aircraft having the ability to operate in space, new weapons, new speeds, new operational range”.

However, the report says not much is known about the MiG-41 because everything about this plane remains classified.

The MiG-41 will be hypersonic (reported speed — 4,500 km) and will be able to carry hypersonic missiles. It is also designed for the Arctic and could possibly be turned into a drone and can to fly at Mach 4.0 and even Mach 4.3. It was also reported that interceptor aircraft will get powerful lasers that will be able to 'burn' enemy homing systems on attacking missiles, by 2035.