1. EVOLUTION OF THE MIKOYAN DESIGN BUREAU SINCE 1970'S 2. INTRODUCTION OF MIG-25

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06694168
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 29, 2017
• Case Number: F-2017-02001
• Publication Date: January 24, 1990

Approved for Release: 2017/09/07 C06694168
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PASS: NSA FOR ZKZK 00 DLS DE (FOR NSOC); STATE
FOR INR.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
REPORT CLASSSECRET--WNINTEL--NOFORN- (b)(1)
DIST: 24 JANUARY 1990 (b)(3)
COUNTRY: USSR
SUBJ: 1. EVOLUTION
2. INTRODUCTION
OF THE MIKOYAN
OF MIG-25
DESIGN BUREAU SINCE 1970'S
DOI:
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
SOURCE:
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
SUMMARY: FOLLOWING THE DEFECTION OF LT. VIKTOR BELENKO
WITH HIS
MIG-25 BASIC INTERCEPTOR, THE MIKOYAN DESIGN BUREAU DEBATED THE
FEASIBILITY OF CANCELLING PRODUCTION ON THIS VERSATILE AIRCRAFT.
THE
PRIMARY REASONS FOR KEEPING THIS TWO TRACK PRODUCTION EFFORT--
DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH PERFORMANCE HIGH-MACH INTERCEPTOR, AND
DEVELOPMENT OF A TACTICAL RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT--OPERATING
INCLUDED
PERCEIVED THREATS ON THE PART OF THE SOVIET UNION FROM THE U.S. B-70
BOMBER, SR-71 HIGH ALTITUDE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT, AND BECAUSE OF
THE MIG-25'S PROVEN EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST ADVANCED STRATEGIC AIR
LAUNCH MISSILES. MIG-25 PRODUCTION LINES WERE ALSO KEPT OPERATING TO
ACQUIRE WELDING AND STEEL FABRICATION TECHNOLOGIES DERIVED FROM THIS
BASIC RESEARCH EFFORT. U.S. (b)(1)
INTENTIONS TO DEVELOP MACH FOUR AND ABOVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT (13)(3)
WILL BE COUNTERED BY THE SOVIET DEVELOPMENT OF FOLLOW-ON AIRCRAFT TO
THE MIG-31 OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF ADVANCED AIRCRAFT WITH MORE
SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT.
TEXT:
THE MIG-25 WAS DEVELOPED PRIMARILY TO COUNTER THE PERCEIVED THREAT
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FROM THE UNITED STATES' B-70 BOMBER. WHEN (W(1)
THE B-70 PROGRAM WAS CANCELLED, THE MIG-25 PROGRAM WAS RETAINED (b)(3)
BECAUSE OF ITS DEMONSTRATED EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST THE U.S. HIGH
ALTITUDE SR-71 RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT. SR-71 (b)(1)
INCURSIONS INTO RESTRICTED AIRSPACE OVER THE SOVIET UNION WERE OFTE00)
REBUFFED BY THE LAUNCH OF MIG-25'S WHICH FORCED SR-71'S TO RETREAT
FROM THEIR SURVEILLANCE PATTERNS OVER SOVIET TERRITORY.
MIG-25'S WERE DESIGNED TO SHOOT DOWN HOUND-DOG
MISSILES THAT WERE BEING CARRIED BY B-52 LONG RANGE BOMBERS.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
COMMENT: THE MIG-25 PROGRAM WAS RETAINED (b)(3)
BECAUSE IT PROVIDED EXCELLENT DEFENSE AGAINST ADVANCED STRATEGIC AIOXJ)
LAUNCH MISSILES (ASALM), BUT THIS REFERENCE APPEARS TO BE SOMEWHAT
IN
ERROR SINCE THE TIME FRAME FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ASALM PROGRAM
DOES NOT APPEAR TO COINCIDE WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THE MIG-25.)
THE MIG-25 PROGRAM WAS ALSO KEPT GOING FOR (W(1)
TECHNOLOGY DERIVED FROM IT. PERFECTED WELDING TECHNIQUES AND STEEL (b)(3)
FABRICATION PROCESSES UNDER THE PROGRAM ARE STILL BEING UTILIZED
THROUGHOUT HEAVY INDUSTRY IN THE USSR.
2. THE MIG-25 PROGRAM, WAS A (b)(1)
TWO-TRACK (b)(3)
PRODUCTION EFFORT DESIGNED TO DEVELOP A HIGH PERFORMANCE HIGH-MACH
INTERCEPTOR, AND A TACTICAL RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT. (b)(1)
THE SEPTEMBER 1976 DEFECTION OF LIEUTENANT VIKTOR ( (BELENKO)) IN A (b)(3)
MIG-25 BASIC INTERCEPTOR, AFTER THE AIRCRAFT (b)(1)
WAS TAKEN APART AND REASSEMBLED IN JAPAN BY THE U.S., IT WAS SHIPPEOP)
BACK TO THE SOVIET UNION WHERE THE MIKOYAN DESIGN BUREAU PROMPTLY
DISASSEMBLED IT TO DETERMINE THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT THE U.S.
COULD HAVE OBTAINED FROM ITS INVESTIGATION.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
3. THE CAPABILITY OF THE (b)(1)
MIG-31, WHICH WAS BUILT ON THE BASIS OF TECHNOLOGY (b)(1)
INHERENT IN THE MIG-25. THE MIG-31 WOULD (b)(1)
PROBABLY BE FORMIDABLE AGAINST MOST SYSTEMS, ALTHOUGH UNMANNED (b)(3)
SYSTEMS COULD POSE PROBLEMS FOR THE INTERCEPTOR. (b)(1)
WHETHER OR NOT MIG-31'S OR FOLLOW-ONS WOULD BE (b)(3)
NECESSARY IN THE FUTURE GIVEN THE RETIREMENT OF THE U.S. SR-71
PROGRAM, U.S. DEVELOPMENT 00)(1)
MACH FOUR AND MACH FIVE MANNED AIRCRAFT FOR USE AS RECONNAISSANCE (b)(3)
AIRCRAFT THAT TYPE OF PERCEIVED THREAT FROM THE (b)(1)
U.S WOULD HAVE TO BE COUNTERED. SOVIET (b)(1)
(b)(3)
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RESPONSE TO THIS NEW THREAT TO BE IN THE FORM OF FOLLOW-ON TO THE
MIG-31 OR SOMETHING SIMILAR UTILIZING MORE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.
MACH FOUR OR MACH FIVE IS ABOUT AS HIGH AS MAN CAN GO
USING CARBON BASED FUELS SUCH AS NATURAL GAS, AND TO GO UP FASTER
THAN MACH FIVE, ONE WOULD HAVE TO USE DIFFERENT FUELS SUCH AS
HYDROGEN.
3TATUS OF THE
USE HYDROGEN FUEL.
D TO
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
b)(1
THIS PROJECT IS STRICTLY A (b)(3)
TUPOLEV DESIGN BUREAU UNDERTAKING AND TSAGI HAS NOTHING (b)(1)
TO (b)(3)
DO WITH IT. THOX1)
FIRST PROTOTYPE VERSION OF THIS AIRCRAFT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE TEST (b)(3)
FLOWN SOMETIME IN LATE 1989. COMMENT:
(b)(1)
IT Ic(b)(3)
HISTORICALLY CUSTOMARY FOR TSAGI TO BE INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN THIS
TYPE OF WORK.)
5. TSAGI IS THE LARGEST INSTITUTE OF (W(1)
ITS KIND IN THE SOVIET UNION--PRESUMABLY THE LARGEST RESEARCH (b)(3)
INSTITUTE. ON THE ISSUE OF TSAGI CONVERTING SOME OF ITS CAPABILITIES
AND FACILITIES TO CIVILIAN ENDEAVORS, (b)(1)
HAD CONVERTED TO CIVILIAN PROGRAMS IN A LIMITED FASHION. (b)(3)
COMMENT: PRESUMABLY, TSAGI, SINCE IT IS A BASIC RESEARCH (W(1)
INSTITUTE, HAS LESS TO DO WITH CONVERSION SINCE ITS TECHNOLOGY WOULA(3)
BE EQUALLY APPLICABLE TO ALL AREAS. THERE MAY STILL BE PARTIAL
CONVERSION, PERHAPS AWAY FROM MILITARY SYSTEMS OR HIGH GRAVITATIONAL
SYSTEMS, TO CONSUMER OR CIVILIAN PRODUCTION.)
ADMIN
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
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