How A Russian Pilot Defected With a ‘Top Secret’ Mach 2.83 MiG-25 Foxbat Fighter

How A Russian Pilot Defected With a ‘Top Secret’ Mach 2.83 MiG-25 Foxbat Fighter

Key Points and Summary – Two pivotal Cold War-era events gave the U.S. invaluable intelligence on Soviet fighter jets. In 1976, Viktor Belenko’s defection in a MiG-25 allowed the West to analyze the once-feared “Foxbat,” revealing its critical weaknesses. In 1997, the U.S. purchased 21 MiG-29s from Moldova, preventing their sale to Iran and allowing engineers to dissect the aircraft completely. MiG-25 Taking Off. Image Credit: Creative Commons. …