The Mikoyan MiG-31 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-31; NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed for the Soviet Air Forces 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. 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; that was confirmed in 2020 when an announcement was made to extend the service lifetime of the existing airframes from 2,500 to 3,500 hours
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (Russian: Х-47М2 Кинжал, IPA: [kʲɪn'ʐaɫ], "Dagger", NATO reporting name AS-24 Killjoy) is a Russian hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile. It has a reported range of 1,500–2,000 km (930–1,240 mi) and speed up to Mach 10. It can carry either conventional or nuclear warheadsand can be launched by MiG-31K interceptors. It has been deployed at airbases in Russia's Southern Military District and Western Military District.
The Kinzhal entered service in December 2017 and was one of the six new Russian strategic weapons unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2018.
