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World Defense & Security News - Russia
 
 
Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG Has Plans to Further Upgrade MiG-31 & Develop Replacement
 
Russia’s Mikoyan MiG-31 (NATO reporting name: Foxhound) fighter jet has upgrade potential, CEO of the Tikhomirov Instrument-Making Research Institute (NIIP) Yuri Bely told TASS.
     
MiG 31 Replacement
Artist impression of a MiG-31 replacement aircraft
     
The Tikhomirov Instrument-Making Research Institute is a subsidiary of Russia’s Almaz-Antey Corporation.

"The plane has upgrade potential. Some of its capabilities can still be improved. As far as the future of interceptors is concerned, the MiG Aircraft-Manufacturing Corporation and our research institute have plans to develop a new product. However, no decision has been made yet to begin the work," Bely said.
     
Russia Far East air regiment receives three upgraded MiG 31BM fighter jets 640 001A RuAF MiG-31BM fighter jet taking off
(Credit: Alex Beltyukov - RuSpotters Team)
     
However, the MiG-31 fighter jet’s armament control system has no upgrade potential after the development of the Zaslon-AM radar for the MiG-31BM plane, Bely added.

"Operational MiG-31 fighter jets are being upgraded to the MiG-31BM level," he said.
     
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