Will Russia’s MiG-41 6th-Gen Aircraft Ever Fly?

The following piece first appeared on Warrior Maven, a Military Content Group member website.

Li Russia’s MiG corporation may be building a hypersonic-weapons capable, manned and unmanned, stealth jet. This aircraft could be capable of hitting Mach 5 speeds and carrying anti-satellite missiles near the boundary of the earth’s atmosphere.

Very little is known about the mysterious, now-in-development Russian 5th-Generation ++ or possibly 6th-gen stealth fighter jet interceptor replacement for the existing MiG-31. Russian press reports say the MiG-41 may resemble the 5th-generation Su-57 in its configuration.

The MiG-41 fighter jet, known as the PAK DP (Prospective Aviation Complex of Long-Range Interception), is slated to fully emerge at the end of the decade as MiG Corporation’s 5th-generation offering.

There has not been an unveiling or public display of the aircraft. Yet, several available images or “renderings” show a rounded, blended wing-body stealthy configuration with vertical tail fins not unlike what is seen on an F-22, F-35, or the Russian Su-57.

One 2019 report from Russia’s TASS news agency shows a photograph of a stealthy-looking rounded fuselage covering a pilot’s cockpit, yet few details are offered in the body of the article. In a general sense, the report does quote the director of the MiG corporation, saying the MiG-41 will “use new types of aviation weapons” and “be created using new stealthy technologies.”

MiG-41: 6th-Generation Technologies?

What are these new stealth technologies?

This question indeed invites speculation in light of the mysterious US Air Force 6th-generation aircraft. Like the US so-called counterpart, it may contain new kinds of radar absorbent materials, design configurations, and sensors. Perhaps it will be artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled and capable of operating drones. Russian and MiG leaders are clear that the MiG-41 will eventually replace the MiG-31 as a fighter-interceptor aircraft.

The MiG executive’s quote that it will contain “new types of aviation weapons” leaves questions. One interesting report from militaryaerospace.com speculates that the MiG-41 might operate in “near-space” environments and perform paradigm-changing kinds of intercept and attack missions.

“The MiG-41 also would be capable of carrying anti-satellite missiles and could operate in near-space environments. Some reports even claimed that the aircraft could shoot-down an incoming hypersonic missile,” the article posits.

“Since being announced back in 2018, a few details have emerged about the MiG-41 jet fighter, including that it would be equipped with a ramjet or turboramjet engine and would use stealth technology, and be capable of reaching a speed of Mach 4 to 4.3, while some reports suggest it could even reach Mach 5,” the militaryaerospace.com essay states.

However, despite all of this, there is one big problem: Just like all Russian high-end military projects, there is a good chance, thanks to funding issues, that this plane may never get into the sky.