Today In History:  16 September  [1975]   --  The first prototype of the MiG-31 interceptor makes its maiden flight.

The MiG-31 (NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed 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 the fastest operational combat aircraft in the world, and it continues to be operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces and Kazakh Air Defense Forces following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Russian Defence Ministry expects the MiG-31 to remain in service until at least 2030.

PHOTO: Russian Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31A in flight over Russia.

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Photo Attribution:  GFDL via Wikimedia. Dmitriy Pichugin - commons.wikimedia