DOC-МГ-25 / REF.84.A.01
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Technical Reference · Unclassified Compilation

МИКОЯН-ГУРЕВИЧ MiG-25 «FOXBAT»

High-altitude Mach-3 class interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft. Designed by Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB to counter strategic bombers and high-speed reconnaissance platforms. Airframe primarily stainless steel with titanium leading edges; nickel-steel alloys for thermal load zones.

Max Speed (ops)
M 2.83@ alt
Ceiling
20 700m
Thrust (A/B)
2×100.1kN
Empty Mass
20 000kg
MTOW
36 720kg
01.0

Platform Overview

Mission Architecture
Designation (USSR)
МиГ-25 / Izd. 84
NATO Reporting Name
Foxbat (A–E)
Role
Interceptor / Recon
Crew
1 (2 on trainers)
IOC
1970 (PVO Strany)

The MiG-25 was engineered as a pure high-speed, high-altitude interceptor to defeat Mach-3 threats (XB-70 class strategic bombers and SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft). Mission priorities were climb rate, dash speed, radar detection range, and heavy long-range missiles — not dogfight agility.

Structure uses ~80% nickel-steel alloys, ~11% aluminium, and ~9% titanium. Steel was selected for thermal stability at sustained Mach 2.5+, accepting weight penalties versus aluminium/titanium fighter designs. Leading edges and engine-bay heat shields employ titanium where peak skin temperatures exceed steel limits.

OPERATIONAL NOTE: Continuous flight above Mach 2.8 risks engine overtemp and inlet distortion. Operational limit is typically Mach 2.83; Mach 3.2 is a structural/engine redline (short duration only). Absolute altitude world records were set by Ye-266 / Ye-266M prototypes (37 650 m class).

Primary users: Soviet PVO (Air Defence Forces), later export to Algeria, Iraq, India, Libya, Syria and others. Reconnaissance variants (RB series) carried optical and ELINT payloads for high-speed penetration profiles.

MiG-25 Foxbat underside rear view carrying four R-40 / AA-6 Acrid missiles
FIG 01 — Underside rear · 4× R-40 (AA-6 Acrid) US DoD / Wikimedia
02.0

Airframe Geometry

Orthographic · Dimensions
Three-view line drawing of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat
FIG 02 — Three-view line drawing (recognition plate) US Army / Wikimedia PD
02.1 · Principal Dimensions MiG-25P / PD ref.
Length
23.82 m
Wingspan
14.01 m
Height
6.10 m
Wing area
61.40 m²
Airfoil
TsAGI SR-12S
MiG-25P three-view silhouette
FIG 03 — Silhouette (MiG-25P) G. Goebel / Wikimedia PD
Wing loading (gross)
~598
kg/m²
High wing loading · optimized for speed, not turn rate
Aspect ratio (approx)
3.2
AR
Low AR trapezoidal wing · thin section for Mach 2.5+
Sweep (¼ chord)
~42°
deg
Sharp leading-edge sweep for wave-drag control
g-limit
+4.5
n
Structural limit · not an agile fighter airframe
03.0

Technical Data Sheet

MiG-25P / PD Baseline
03.1 · General CharacteristicsTDS-25P
Crew1 pilot
Length overall23.82 m (78 ft 2 in)
Wingspan14.01 m (46 ft 0 in)
Height6.10 m (20 ft 0 in)
Wing area61.40 m² (661 ft²)
Empty weight20 000 kg (44 092 lb)
Gross weight36 720 kg (80 954 lb)
Max takeoff weight36 720 kg
Internal fuel~14 920 kg (32 895 lb)
Powerplant2 × Tumansky R-15B-300
Dry thrust (each)73.5 kN (16 500 lbf)
A/B thrust (each)100.1 kN (22 500 lbf)
03.2 · Performance EnvelopePERF-25P
Max speed (high alt)Mach 2.83 ops / ~3 000 km/h
Max speed (clean limit)Mach 3.2 (engine risk)
Max speed (sea level)~1 200–1 300 km/h IAS
Cruise (econ)~Mach 0.9
Initial climb rate~208 m/s (40 950 ft/min)
Service ceiling20 700 m (67 900 ft)
Absolute altitude (record)37 650 m class (Ye-266M)
Combat range (typical)~1 730 km
Ferry range~2 575 km
Takeoff / landingLong runways required
g-limits+4.5 / limited negative
Endurance (mission)Profile-dependent · high fuel burn @ A/B
03.3 · Conceptual Flight Envelope (schematic) NOT FOR FLIGHT USE
MACH NUMBER → ALTITUDE (km) → 0 1.0 2.0 2.83 3.2 3.5 0 10 20 30 37 OPS M2.83 REDLINE M3.2 Ye-266M ABS. ALT RECORD SERVICE CEILING ~20.7 km
04.0

Propulsion System

Tumansky R-15B-300
04.1 · Powerplant2× axial turbojet
EngineTumansky R-15B-300 (later R-15BD-300)
TypeSingle-spool afterburning turbojet
Dry thrust73.5 kN (16 500 lbf) each
Afterburning thrust100.1 kN (22 500 lbf) each
Combined A/B~200.2 kN
Inlet systemVariable ramps · 2D side inlets
NozzleVariable-area convergent-divergent
Fuel typeT-6 / similar high-flash jet fuel

Twin R-15 turbojets are optimized for high-Mach dash. Variable-geometry side inlets manage shock systems into the compressors. Sustained afterburner use produces extreme fuel consumption and thermal loading on the steel airframe and engine bays.

THERMAL: Skin temperatures at Mach 2.8+ approach 300 °C on leading surfaces. Steel construction was a deliberate materials choice for thermal creep resistance at cost of mass.
Soviet MiG-25 Foxbat-E with AA-6 Acrid missiles — side view showing inlet and engines
FIG 04 — Foxbat-E (PD/PDS) · inlet / pylon geometry US DoD / Wikimedia
Thrust / weight (A/B, empty)
~1.02
ratio
Thrust / weight (MTOW)
~0.56
ratio
Fuel fraction (approx)
~0.41
internal / MTOW
Engines installed
02
R-15 series
05.0

Sensors & Avionics

Radar · Nav · Recon Payloads

Radar — Interceptor

  • MiG-25PRP-25 Smerch-A
  • MiG-25PD/PDSRP-25M / Sapfir-25
  • ModeLook-up intercept
  • RoleTarget acquisition for R-40
  • IFFSoviet IFF suite

Navigation / Flight

  • NavInertial + radio navaids
  • AutopilotHigh-alt intercept modes
  • CommsUHF / VHF mil suite
  • HUD/gunsightOptical collimator
  • Data linkGCI integration (PVO)

Recon (RB family)

  • OpticalA-70 / A-72 cameras
  • ELINTSRS-4 / similar
  • SLARSide-looking radar (var.)
  • IR linescanSelected configs
  • Nose bayMission-specific packs

Defensive Aids

  • RWRSPO series warning
  • Chaff/flareLimited on early A/C
  • ECMVariant-dependent pods
  • BM SEADAnti-radar variant
  • HardenedNuclear-flash considerations
MiG-25RB reconnaissance camera installation
FIG 05 — MiG-25RBT camera installation Wikimedia Commons
MiG-25 RBF Foxbat-D technical photo
FIG 06 — MiG-25 RBF Foxbat-D (USAF ref photo) USAF / Wikimedia
06.0

Armament Loadout

Air-to-Air · SEAD
06.1 · Primary WeaponsInterceptor stations: 4
R-40AA-6 ACRID

Bisnovat R-40 (K-40)

Primary long-range AAM. Semi-active radar (R-40R) and infrared (R-40T) variants. Large missile optimized for high-altitude bombers; limited off-boresight vs modern AAMs.

RANGE ~50–80 km class SPEED ~M 4.5 WARHEAD HE frag LOAD 4× underwing
R-60AA-8 APHID

Molniya R-60

Short-range IR dogfight missile available on later PD configurations (outer stations in place of some R-40 pairs).

CLOSE RANGE IR SEEKER PD OPTION
Kh-58AS-11 KILTER

Kh-58 (MiG-25BM)

Anti-radiation missile for SEAD variant MiG-25BM “Foxbat-F”. Dedicated suppression of ground-based air-defence radars.

ARM / SEAD PASSIVE RF BM VARIANT
Underside view of Soviet MiG-25 Foxbat
FIG 07 — Ventral aspect · hardpoint layout US DoD / Wikimedia
06.2 · Station MapInterceptor
Wing pylons (×4)R-40R / R-40T primary
Typical mix2× radar + 2× IR
Internal gunNone (missile-only fighter)
Bomb load (RB)Limited free-fall on recon-bomber types
External fuelNot primary design focus
07.0

Variant Matrix

Production Family
IZD. 84 · A

MiG-25P

Baseline single-seat interceptor. RP-25 Smerch-A radar, 4× R-40. Backbone of early PVO high-altitude defence.

NATO: FOXBAT-A
IZD. 84D

MiG-25PD / PDS

Improved interceptor with Sapfir-25 radar and better IR missiles options. PDS = field-upgraded P airframes.

NATO: FOXBAT-E
RECON

MiG-25R / RB / RBT

High-speed photo-recon and recon-bomber series. Cameras, ELINT, optional bombs. Primary strategic recon platform.

NATO: FOXBAT-B
ELINT

MiG-25RBK / RBF / RBS

Specialized electronic intelligence and SLAR configurations for collecting emitter data at high speed/altitude.

NATO: FOXBAT-D
SEAD

MiG-25BM

Defence-suppression aircraft armed with Kh-58 ARMs and specialized avionics for radar hunting.

NATO: FOXBAT-F
TRAINER

MiG-25PU / RU

Two-seat conversion trainers for interceptor and recon pipelines. Second cockpit replaces radar/recon nose volume.

NATO: FOXBAT-C
08.0

Structure & Materials

Thermal Architecture

Unlike contemporary aluminium fighters, the MiG-25’s primary structure is welded and riveted stainless steel (including VNS-2 / similar high-strength steels). This allowed production using existing Soviet industrial capacity and provided thermal margin for kinetic heating at Mach 2.5–3.0.

Titanium is concentrated on leading edges, inlet lips, and local hot spots. Aluminium appears in lower-temperature secondary structure. The result is a heavy airframe with exceptional high-speed stability but poor sustained turn performance and high landing speeds.

08.1 · Material Breakdown (approx.)by mass
Steel / Ni-steel
~80%
Aluminium
~11%
Titanium
~9%

Values are representative of production interceptors as publicly reported; exact alloy mixes vary by block and variant.

10.0

Program Timeline

Chronology
1959–1961

Requirement & concept

PVO requirement for interceptor capable of defeating high-Mach strategic threats. Mikoyan begins Ye-155 work.

1964-03-06

First flight — Ye-155R-1

Prototype flight testing begins. Development prioritizes speed, altitude, and radar/missile integration over maneuverability.

1967

Public reveal / Domodedovo

Western intelligence observes MiG-25; initial overestimates of capability drive F-15 program acceleration.

1970

Service entry

MiG-25P enters PVO service. Production ramps across interceptor and reconnaissance lines.

1976

Belenko defection

Lt. Viktor Belenko lands a MiG-25P in Japan. Detailed Western technical exploitation revises threat assessments (steel structure, limited look-down radar, high fuel burn).

1978–1984

PD / PDS upgrades

Improved radar and missile options fielded. Export variants proliferate in Middle East and South Asia.

1980s–present

Combat use & drawdown

Combat employment in Middle East conflicts; gradual retirement as Su-27 / MiG-31 and Western types replace high-alt intercept roles. Limited museum and residual operators remain.

Iraqi MiG-25 buried in sand
FIG 08 — Combat loss / recovery environment (Iraq) US DoD / Wikimedia
10.1 · Design Driverssummary
Primary threatMach 3 bombers / recon
Design philosophySpeed · altitude · missiles
Not optimized forWVR dogfight · sustained turns
Successor rolesMiG-31 Foxhound (intercept)
Western responseF-15 Eagle program impetus