MiG-31BM enhancements include fly-by-wire control system
MiG-31BM long-range interceptor. (Photo: Russian Aircraft Corporation/Sergey Kuznetsov)
Russia conducts flight tests of fly-by-wire control system as MiG-31BM upgrade continues.
Russia is carrying out state trials of a fly-by-wire control system for the upgraded MiG-31BM long-range interceptor aircraft, TASS reported on 26 November.
The state-run news agency quoted officials from the Sokol Aircraft Plant as saying ‘there is an option of upgrading this aircraft where we switch from the mechanical to the fly-by-wire control system, which yields a host of computers mounted on the plane’.
The officials added: ‘The option with the fly-by-wire control system is already being implemented: now this variant of the upgraded interceptor is undergoing trials.’
Shephard Defence Insight calculates that 110 MiG-31s have been upgraded to the MiG-31M (Foxhound B) and MiG-31BM (Foxhound C) standard.
The main strategic aim is to protect Russian airspace in polar regions.
The Russian MoD signed another contract with Sokol in August 2021 to repair and upgrade MiG-31K interceptor-fighters to the MiG-31BM level with advanced avionics.
A squadron of MiG-31K fighters armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles is on experimental combat duty in Russia’s Southern Military District, TASS noted, adding that ‘an air regiment [currently operating MiG-31BMs] stationed in Kansk in the Krasnoyarsk Region in Eastern Siberia was set to be rearmed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles by 2024’.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![CH-47 Chinook: why the iconic helicopter design is still a heavy-lift contender (updated 2026)]()
CH-47 Chinook: why the iconic helicopter design is still a heavy-lift contender (updated 2026)
From its emergence as a ground-breaking design in the 1950s to its widespread deployment in diverse operations worldwide, the Chinook continues to leave an indelible mark on the aviation landscape. Shephard sums up the helicopter’s latest developments.
-
![UK vows to accelerate Lyra programme for Ukraine as defence industry eyes opportunities]()
UK vows to accelerate Lyra programme for Ukraine as defence industry eyes opportunities
Project Nightfall and Project Octopus both fall under the Lyra programme, with UK industry working to develop and deliver additional missiles and drones to help bolster Ukraine’s warfighting capabilities against Russia.
-
![How detection-led C-UAS solutions are transforming drone defense]()
How detection-led C-UAS solutions are transforming drone defense
Modern C-UAS solutions must detect threats early, integrate layered sensors, and deliver fast, scalable, adaptable defense against evolving drones.
-
![How uncrewed rotary platforms are shaping approaches to contested logistics]()
How uncrewed rotary platforms are shaping approaches to contested logistics
Defence industry primes are working on an array of different platforms to meet the growing need for rotary uncrewed aerial vehicles to carry out future logistics missions.
