MiG-31 fighter jets conduct exercises in stratosphere

Russian MiG-31 fighter jets conducted exercises in the stratosphere where they practiced conditional missile strikes, representatives for the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy said Tuesday, September 13, Interfax reports.

"The pilots of MiG-31 aircraft practiced fight manoeuvres in the stratosphere, trained their skills to escape attacks from mock enemy aircraft and relocate to operational airfields of the region,” the statement from the Baltic Fleet said.

The aircraft were relocated to the Kaliningrad region and, as part of the training flights, practiced attacks on command posts of a mock enemy.

The flights of the MiG-31 aircraft took place under the cover of Su-27 fighters.

On September 11, the crews of the Eleron and Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Baltic Fleet practiced the tactics to overcome the air defense zone of a mock enemy. The exercises were conducted at the Pugachevo training ground in the Kaliningrad enclave.

In January, Sohu publication called the Russian MiG-31 interceptor fighter a "mysterious killer." The aircraft, known as the MiG-41, or PAK DP (Prospective Long-Range Interceptor Aviation Complex), is to replace the MiG-31.

• The Mikoyan MiG-31 (NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft;
• The aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau as a replacement for the earlier MiG-25 Foxbat;
• The MiG-31 is based on and shares design elements with the MiG-25;
• The MiG-31 is among the fastest combat jets in the world.