The MiG-25 Foxbat
The USSR revealed the existence of the MiG-25 (NATO reporting name “Foxbat”), which looked to be the most lethal fighter aircraft in the world in the late 1960s. This aircraft could outpace any fighter in the air and any other military aircraft except the SR-71 Blackbird.
The Foxbat could reach heights of up to 78,000 feet when equipped with two R-40 missiles (designated by NATO as AA-6 “Acrid”), but it could only reach 68,900 feet when all four missiles were deployed. By contrast, the Habu flew at cruise speeds above Mach 3 at over 80,000 feet.
However, Col. Darrel Cobb himself says in this interview with his son Chris that after an SR-71 Blackbird, he was piloting was fired on by a MiG-25,
The “holy grail” of the soviet air defense system: shooting down an SR-71 Blackbird
‘Operational missions.
‘First, let me assure you; we never broke President Eisenhower’s promise to cease overflying the Soviet Union. We remained over international water – 12 mi offshore.
‘All of my operational flying was from Kadena, Okinawa. Area of interest was Vietnam; Korea; Vladivostok, USSR; China. Later, we flew transatlantic & return from Seymour Johnson, NC supporting the Israel-Arab war. After I left the program, the SR flew from Mildenhall, England & Bodo, Norway.
‘We already touched on missions against Vietnam & the only night mission.
‘Today let’s cover “north missions.”
‘Take off, refuel & head into the Sea of Japan; between Japan & south Korea. Accelerated to operational speed – 3.20. Head directly at Vladivostok. headquarters of USSR air defense; and test/r & d of new radar & intercept development. 2200 mph guaranteed to light up all the radar & intercept systems they had.
‘A MiG-25 interceptor squadron was based just outside of Vladivostok. The “holy grail” of the soviet air defense system was to shoot down an SR-71.
‘Turn north up the Sea of Japan & make a U-turn back down the USSR coast (12 mi offshore) with ELINT & SIGINT recorders going full bore. Photo cameras looking oblique into the USSR, updating the interceptor air order of battle. Head south east till past Vladivostok then turn slightly left then right to cross Korea at the DMZ. Photo cameras updating N. Korea force readiness to resume hostilities against S. Korea.
SR-71 Blackbird fired on by a MiG-25
‘Continue down the Yellow Sea coast of China. All sensors evaluating China’s threat to Taiwan. Turn left- decel & land at Kadena. I flew this profile several times during the 4 years I flew ops missions. One of these got very, very thrilling. Southbound, passing Vladivostok, Reg (my RSO) announced;
‘”We’ve got a fighter locked on – it’s gotta be a MiG-25″
‘”Our DEF [Defensive Electronic Gear, DEF. It Provided ground-to-air and air-to-air missile protection. Still Classified. Def systems were labeled DEF A,B,C,E and G. Later modifications to the DEF Systems resulted in DEF A2, C2, H and M systems. Nearing retirement of the SR-71, a programmable DEF labeled A2C could defeat all known threats to the Blackbirds] is blanketing all beautifully.”
‘”Oops – he just fired – – we’ve got a missile locked on”
‘”Our def has shifted to its missile magic”
‘”There – lock’s broken. Missile’s back in search”
‘”That’s weird – sounds like the missile’s locked on – but not locked on us”
‘”He’s gone – coming up on the “s” turn to the DMZ.”’
Fast forward to late 1976 Col. Cobb retired from the Air Force.
MiG-25 at risk of being shot down by its own missile
Cobb continues;
‘I’m retired! Learning that retirement means no days off; no vacation; no holidays; big pay cut.
‘I find the aircraft TV channel & history channel. Lots & lots of SR-71 films. I avidly watch at every opportunity. In my den, glued to the TV & today’s SR-71 show, & who do I see comparing the MiG-25 with the SR-71??
‘You’re right — Lt. Victor Belenko!
‘He was totally gobsmacked; his MiG-25 burned up the engines getting to Mach 3 yet the SR’s cruise speed was greater than 3.0.
‘Belenko is the one who said that the Holy Grail of Soviet air defense was to shoot down an SR.
‘He told of how they would pre-position ahead of the SR’s radar track and had to zoom up to get a lock on & fire their missile.
‘Belenko stressed how quickly & precisely they had to perform because the window of opportunity was so very short.
‘Their target was traveling at 3600 ft/sec. Faster than a speeding bullet.
‘He described in detail how precise the post-firing breakaway had to be executed to avoid getting shot down by their own missile; talking as though they found this out the “hard way.”’
Cobb Concludes;
‘Man talk about intense attention – – I’m quickly mentally replaying that tape from the inter-phone – –
‘”We’ve got a fighter locked on – it’s gotta be a Mig-25″
‘”Our DEF is blanketing all beautifully.”
‘”Oops – he just fired – – we’ve got a missile locked on”
‘”Our def has shifted to its missile magic”
‘”There – lock’s broken. Missile’s back in search.
‘”That’s weird – sounds like the missile’s locked on – but not locked on us.”’
What happened to the missile fired by the MiG-25 Foxbat at the SR-71 Blackbird?
What happened to the missile fired by the MiG-25? Could it have locked onto the Foxbat itself? Could the SR-71 DEF have deceived it? We’ll never know.
But since the SR-71’s cruising speed was more than the MiG-25’s Acrid missiles’ maximum speed, we might presume that the Blackbird just outran the AA-6. The MiG-25 was unable to carry out a head-on intercept, and there was no chance that a Foxbat could conduct a tail-chase intercept of an SR-71. The Foxbat’s fire control system and radar were insufficiently advanced to handle the challenges of a head-on intercept at closing speeds that would exceed Mach 5.
Check out Habubrats SR-71’s Twitter profile and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder‘s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.
Photo by Dmitriy Pichugin via Wikimedia and U.S. Air Force
