Russians show Kim Jong Un modernised MiG-31I fighter for Kh-47M2 pseudo-hypersonic missiles

Kim Jong Un has inspected the Russian Federation's aerospace forces' fleet of military aircraft. The Russians showed the DPRK leader many aircraft, including the MiG-31I fighter, which could receive an important upgrade over the MiG-31K.

Here's What We Know

Russian propaganda media were the first to write about the MiG-31I back last summer. It was announced at the Army 2022 forum that the latest upgrade of the fourth-generation fighter was being used in the war against Ukraine, but, as is often the case, no evidence was provided for what was said.

We don't know what capabilities the MiG-31I actually possesses, but the Russians say the aircraft's key feature is the automatic launch of the Kh-47M2 pseudo-hypersonic missile. MiG-31K pilots, on the other hand, must manually enter the data required for launch.

Representatives of the Russian Federation's military sector reported to Kim Jong-un about the technical characteristics of the Kinzhal pseudo-hypersonic system. However, this conversation remained behind the scenes. According to open-source data, we know that the Kh-47M2 air-launched ballistic missile can reach speeds of more than Mach 5 (6174 km/h) outside the atmosphere, but it slows down many times during an attack.

Ukraine has proven that the Patriot air defence system can cope with the Kh-47M2 pseudo-hypersonic missiles. The U.S. is now working on interceptors that will be able to destroy full-fledged hypersonic missiles that can maintain a speed of more than Mach 5 at all stages of flight, not just outside the atmosphere.