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Russia Mikoyan (MiG)
MiG-31
Twin-engine, twin-seat supersonic interceptor designed for high-speed, high-altitude air defense against bombers and cruise missiles, among the fastest fighters in service. Modernized MiG-31BM/K variants also serve as launch platforms for the Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
In service since 1981 · 2 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
3,000
km/h
3,000
km range
20,600
m ceiling
9,000
kg payload
0.85
T/W
Pricing: Out of production; no reliable public unit-cost figure
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Russian state channel
Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.
Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)
Fielded & proven
Limited · 2 operators
In service since 1981. Status: active · ~519 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 3,000 km/h Top 1% of fighters
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 2.83 Mach Top 1% of fighters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 3,000 km Stronger than 49% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 720 km Stronger than 27% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 20,600 m Top 1% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 0.85 Bottom 6% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 23 mm GSh-6-23 rotary cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 6 Bottom 5% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 9,000 kg Stronger than 82% of fighters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- chaff, flares, internal EW suite
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 22.69 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 13.46 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 6.15 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 21,820 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 41,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x Soloviev D-30F6 afterburning turbofans
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 152 kN Top 8% of fighters
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 17,330 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Zaslon or Zaslon-M passive electronically scanned array
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- 8TK infrared search and track
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 519 Stronger than 72% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 2 Stronger than 50% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Mikoyan (MiG) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the top speed of the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 has a maximum speed of 3,000 km/h.
What is the range of the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 has a maximum range of 3,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 can carry up to 9,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 weigh? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 has a combat weight of 41,000 kg.
How many crew does the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 require? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31's primary weapon is the 23 mm GSh-6-23 rotary cannon.
What engine does the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 use? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 is powered by the 2x Soloviev D-30F6 afterburning turbofans.
What is the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 used for? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, deep strike, isr.
How many countries operate the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31? +
The Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 is operated by 2 countries.
How much does the Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31 cost? +
Mikoyan (MiG) MiG-31: Out of production; no reliable public unit-cost figure. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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