Russia’s long-awaited sixth-generation fighter jet MiG-41 has garnered much criticism and skepticism since its announcement in 2018. Rightly developed by Mikoyan, the aircraft dubbed by the media as the Mikoyan PAK DP was launched to supplant the old MiG-31 and make unprecedented Mach 5 claims but can these be feasible?
This promising future holds the magic of modern aeronautical engineering: intercepting hypersonic missiles with anti-missile lasers and even mastering near-space environments.
If implemented, such capabilities would make MiG-41 one of the necessary components in Russia’s air force defense for the future.
At the same time, setting up against the very hard economic and resource situation in today’s Russia will bring extreme difficulties in maintaining supersonic flight for an ever-long period.
Not much was known about the MiG-41, but it was taken to a completed design in 2019. The aircraft is set to be equipped with a ramjet or turboramjet engine that will drive the plane to reach Mach 4.3 and maybe even Mach 5, making it the fastest military aircraft in the world.
Moscow states this high-performance fighter will also have anti-satellite missiles, which makes it fully operational in space and near-space environments.
These overambitious claims have skeptics among experts, though. Sustained supersonic flight requires a lot of fuel, which will add a huge weight to the aircraft.
Besides, flying at Mach 4 produces immense heat and calls for new-age materials that can repel heat, retaining their stealth capabilities, according to analysts from Slashgear. The claimed storage of weapons in the airframe seems exaggerated as well. Such features come off as unrealistic for industry experts at supersonic speeds.
Despite the elaborate plans, there has been little acknowledgment from Russian officials about any progress over the MiG-41. A Russian State Duma Defence Committee official said that research and development work on the MiG-41 project had been approved, yet conclusive proof of serious advancements remains non-existent.
The new MiG-41 will replace the famous MiG-31, which, by the way, had a speed of Mach 2.83 and was equipped with a vast arsenal of weaponry. It should be available with aircraft-launched missiles Kinzhal and their variants.
According to present technology, it is too ambitious because, according to many experts in Western aviation, Russia is suggesting some concepts that do not exist at present.
The MiG-41 remains in the development stages and is therefore likely to face many challenges. These include the pulse detonation engine, which is still only in the development stages. It must manage engine wear and the introduction of stealth technology.
Russia is developing an EMP cannon. This might be quite a game-changer for future air combat. The missiles on the MiG-41 are expected to be R-37M; it may end up being an unmanned version at some point.
Given the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia and the financial powers of the West, the MiG-41 remains a very unlikely eventuality for the foreseeable future.
Indeed, there are too many challenges and hurdles this project has to overcome – starting from technological ones to economic ones, which casts doubts on its future.