The Russian Ministry of Defense on April 16 released a video of a MiG-31 interceptor deployed to monitor and escort a US Air Force RC-135 strategic aircraft reconnaissance as it approached airspace. Russia in the Kamchatka region.

In the video, the MiG-31 flies at a fairly high speed, passing the nose of the RC-135 at a close distance. “After the foreign military aircraft turned to leave, the Russian fighters have returned to a safe base,” the Russian Ministry of Defense added.

The Russian side has said it will “not allow” any violation of the border to occur. The time of the encounter is unknown, but almost a week ago, on April 10, the Russian side also deployed a MiG-31 to chase away US RC-135 aircraft operating near the Russian border. Pacific.

MiG-31 fighter of the Russian army. Photo: Sputnik

The incident comes in the context of an escalating tensions between Russia and the US following rhetoric, as well as the West’s criticism of Moscow to increase its forces to press Ukraine.

The MiG-31, designated by NATO as Foxhound, has been in service with the Soviet army since 1982, seven years after its maiden flight in 1975. Despite its relatively high age, the MiG-31 is still a battle. fastest match in the world when reaching a maximum speed of Mach 2.83, about 3,000 km / h.

The MiG-31 is currently in service with the Russian Air Force and the Kazakh Air Force. This is the first fighter in the world equipped with a passive electronically scanned array radar (PESA), allowing 24 targets to be tracked and 6 targets simultaneously.

According to Sputnik, a squadron of four MiG-31s ​​can manage 800km2 of airspace, suitable for the vast Russian airspace. The MiG-31 is also an aircraft modified by Moscow to be equipped with the Kinzhal supersonic attack missile.