[spetznaz]

I think a lot of people make several mistakes about the MiG25. These range from it not benign maneuverable enough (and thus the designers were stupid), it using vacuum tubes (stupid), engines that would burn themselves out (stupid), etc etc. However, let's look at it in another way. Before the MiG25, the USAF was developing an amazing aircraft called the XB-70 Valkyrie. The Valkyrie was supposed to be a nuclear bomber that simply flew too high and fast for the Soviets to intercept, and this caused real worries at the Kremlin. Thus, they needed a fighter (no, more of an interceptor) that could take off, fly at blazing speed to intercept the Valkyrie, and shoot it down. Now, considering that the only time this would be happening was during a nuclear conflagration, it did NOT matter much of the engines burned out at Mach 3.

To be honest I think the only reason the Foxbat had landing gear was because they needed to train with it during peace time - in a nuclear war survivability for military bases and equipment on both sides was nil, which is why - for example - Soviet naval capital ships usually had a lot of anti air and anti sub rockets that were only there to buy it enough time to launch several nuclear-tipped 'Granit' supersonic anti ship cruise missiles at a USN carrier group, following which it had 'permission' to die.

Anyway, it was supposed to intercept the Valkyrie, which ironically was never put into production by the USAF I think. That explains why it had huge speed, why they didn't care if the engines burned out at max speed, why it did not need crazy maneuverability (an interceptor going after a bomber), the vacuum tubes (there would be nuclear weapons going off during a hot war, including the use of nuclear tipped air to air missiles). It was not stupid - it was a very clever design, just designed against a plane that never made it.

What is more ironic is that it led to the development of the F-15 Eagle. In the same way the Kremlin got worried about the XB-70 and created a super interceptor, the White House got worried about the MiG25 (at the time they thought it would be a super fighter), which led to the development of a real super fighter in the F-15. Funny how life works - a super bomber that never made it led to the development of a super interceptor to shoot down a threat that never existed, which led to the development of a super fighter to shoot down a super interceptor that couldn't even turn fast. And thus we have one of the most beautiful planes in the world, the F-15 Eagle.

[mindburglar]

That’s awesome.

[T-Bone Texan]

Great synopsis, thanks!

As an aside. I read, as a child, a Reader’s Digest version of this story.

Supposedly there was a self destruct button so as to destroy the cockpit in case of capture.

Pilots were assured there was a timer.

There wasn’t. It was directly connected to a stick of dynamite, according to the story.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

it did NOT matter much of the engines burned out at Mach 3

Like the SR-71, the XB-70 was a Mach 3-capable aircraft. It's pretty tough to catch, much less shoot down a Mach-3 airplane with another Mach-3 airplane, or even a Mach-5 missile. That's why the SR-71 needs no defensive systems. It's defense is its speed and altitude.

Until the US got their hands on this MiG-25, they were unsure of its capabilities. It was only after they got this one that they learned of its shortcomings.

[MeganC]

To me I think the XB-70 Valkyrie and the ‘Star Wars’ programs were both money well spent. That’s because even though neither program ever went into production the Soviets spent scarce money on full scale programs to counter these technologies. These weapons ended up destroying the one resource that a communist country is always short on and that’s wealth!

[TomasUSMC]

It also shows how one works against a one man government like the USSR. Make that Leader look weak, look like he is losing and that Leader will react. We just had to start producing the B70 and the Russians bankrupted themselves trying to react and counter our ‘threat”