{"id":1743261,"date":"2022-11-18T06:30:20","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T11:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1743261"},"modified":"2022-11-18T06:33:56","modified_gmt":"2022-11-18T11:33:56","slug":"russia-is-arming-mig-31-fighters-with-r-37m-hypersonic-missiles-for-war-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russia-is-arming-mig-31-fighters-with-r-37m-hypersonic-missiles-for-war-in-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia Is Arming MiG-31 Fighters with R-37M Hypersonic Missiles for War in Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frussia-is-arming-mig-31-fighters-with-r-37m-hypersonic-missiles-for-war-in-ukraine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1743261&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><strong>Russia\u2019s Ultrafast MiG-31 \u2018Foxhound\u2019 Interceptors Use Hypersonic Missiles to Harry Ukrainian Jets:<\/strong> Russia\u2019s fleet of two-seater MiG-31 Foxhound jets, built originally as highly specialized Soviet air defense interceptors, have been playing a growing role in the air war over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/11\/putin-is-enraged-he-keeps-firing-missile-after-missile-at-ukraine\/\">Ukraine<\/a> according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/rusi.org\/explore-our-research\/publications\/special-resources\/russian-air-war-and-ukrainian-requirements-air-defence\">recent report<\/a> from the UK\u2019s Royal United Services Institute think tank.\n<\/p>\n<h2>MiG-31 and R-37M: A Deadly Combination?<\/h2>\n<p>In the 40-year-old interceptor\u2019s first use in combat (Kazakhstan is the type\u2019s only other operator), Russia\u2019s Foxhounds have likely downed multiple Ukrainian combat aircraft, according to the report\u2019s authors Nick Reynolds and Drs. Justin Bronk and Jack Watling.\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRussian high-altitude fighter CAPs with Su-35S and more recently with Mig-31BM interceptors are continuing to shoot down significant numbers of Ukrainian ground attack aircraft near the frontlines from distances that render them all but immune to return fire.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s reportedly made possible by using large, <em>very <\/em>long-range hypersonic air-to-air missiles: the R-37M (NATO codename AA-13 Axehead-B) accelerates up to <em>six <\/em>times the speed of sound (few fighters go much faster than Mach 2) and can engage slower targets up to a staggering 250 miles away. Each measures 4 meters long and weighs 1,320 pounds<\/p>\n<p>The report states: \u201cThe VKS [Russian aerospace force] has been firing up to six R-37Ms per day during October, and the extremely high speed of the weapon, coupled with very long effective range and a seeker designed for engaging low-altitude targets, makes it particularly difficult to evade.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The report\u2019s findings were derived from interviews with four senior aviation commanders and three senior ground-based air defense commanders from the Ukrainian Air Force, as well as their personal analysis of recovered R-37M missile fragments.<\/p>\n<p>This arguably constitutes the first combat use of a Very Long Range Air-to-Air Missiles (VLRAAM) effective at distances exceeding 150 miles. Western air forces primarily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2021\/09\/how-f-15ex-fighters-could-fight-china-or-russia-in-a-war\/\">don\u2019t field VLRAAMs yet<\/a> because their long reach may not be that useful against an agile jet fighter, which, if alerted, may have ample opportunity to evade.\n<\/p>\n<p>Guiding such a weapon is tricky, too\u2014the Axehead relies on inertial navigation, enhanced by corrections transmitted from the launching fighter as it flies in an arc toward the target to maximize range. Only once it closes within roughly 18 miles can its internal dual-band radar seeker hope to acquire the target for more precise terminal guidance.<\/p>\n<p>The low-flying ground attack jets falling victim are Ukraine\u2019s Su-25 Frogfoots and its Su-24 Fencer supersonic bomber. The former\u2019s slower maximum speed (about 600 miles per hour, or Mach .79) means its \u2018escape zone\u2019 for outrunning the missile might be limited. The larger, swing-wing Fencer <em>is<\/em> faster (Mach 1 at low altitude, 1.6 flying high) but has often been deployed on riskier penetrating raids and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/09\/the-air-to-air-war-in-ukraine-no-one-saw-coming\/\">suffered very heavy losses<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p>On October 27, Russian state media <a href=\"https:\/\/tvzvezda.ru\/news\/20221027344-Vhs7R.html\">posted an interview<\/a> with a MiG-31 pilot who claimed to have downed a Ukrainian Su-24. \u00a0The accompanying video shows MiG-31 Red 24 carrying three R-37Ms and one R-77-1. The Foxhound\u2019s high maximum altitude and speed (approaching three times the speed of sound) can impart a big energetic boost to missiles, making it an excellent complement to the R-37. <a href=\"https:\/\/iz.ru\/1416649\/2022-10-27\/rossiiskii-istrebitel-mig-31-unichtozhil-ukrainskii-samolet-su-24\">According<\/a> to Izvestia, supposedly, the targeted Fencer made evasive maneuvers but then disappeared from Russian radars and was thus considered destroyed.\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_18706\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18706\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18706\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Russia-MiG-31-1200x783-1.jpg\" alt=\"MiG-31 Fighter History\" width=\"880\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Russia-MiG-31-1200x783-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Russia-MiG-31-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Russia-MiG-31-768x501-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Russia-MiG-31.jpg 1206w\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-18706\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image: Russian state media.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>However, the claim should be taken with a grain of salt, along with pro-Russian sources attributing nine more kills to the Foxhound. Russia has claimed to destroy more than twice as many aircraft as in Ukraine\u2019s air force. Like the vast majority of air-to-air claims made by both sides, there isn\u2019t visual evidence confirming the kills.\n<\/p>\n<p>That lack, and skepticism of the R-37\u2019s usefulness against agile warplanes, are the basis of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kyivpost.com\/article\/opinion\/op-ed\/exclusive-insight-russias-secret-air-to-air-missile-shortage.html\">article<\/a> by retired USAF pilot Col. Jeffrey Fischer. He points to the R-37M\u2019s relatively small fins, and argues it is \u201cclearly a limited maneuvering missile\u201d that would be ineffective against Ukrainian combat aircraft.\n<\/p>\n<p>However, the RUSI report makes the Su-24 downing appear more plausible than before, and may imply additional similar incidents.\n<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Air War Ukraine\u2014Fall Edition<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>According to the RUSI report, Russia has divided up airspace over parts of Ukraine it controls into eight sectors, each of which is patrolled by a rotating combat air patrol (CAP) of two MiG-31BM or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/08\/russias-advanced-su-35s-fighters-went-to-war-in-ukraine-with-mixed-results\/\">Su-35S fighters<\/a> whose job is to detect and pounce on any approaching Ukrainian jets.\n<\/p>\n<p>Due to a low availability of Russian aerial refueling tankers (mostly supporting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/10\/russias-tu-95-bomber-a-threat-to-ukraine-and-alaska\/\">Tu-95<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2021\/12\/tu-160-blackjack-supersonic-bomber-russias-most-dangerous-weapon\/\">Tu-160 bombers<\/a>), each CAP usually can\u2019t remain on station for more than two hours before being replaced with a fresh pair.\n<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine\u2019s MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/09\/how-do-russias-modern-su-35s-and-flankers-stack-up-against-ukraines-su-27s-and-mig-29s\/\">are technically out-classed<\/a> by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/09\/how-russias-su-30-and-su-35-flanker-fighters-are-waging-putins-air-war-over-ukraine\/\">longer-range radars and missiles<\/a> on Russian jets, so focus instead on intercepting Russian ground attack aircraft and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/03\/video-and-pictures-russia-has-unleashed-its-cruise-missile-arsenal-on-ukraine\/\">incoming cruise missiles and drones<\/a>. \u00a0(The exception being the first few days of the war, during which Ukrainian ground-based air defenses were moving for their own survival and in large part non-functional. Ukrainian fighters had to take on the full burden of air defense in those early desperate days.)\n<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, the Russian fighters don\u2019t pursue Ukrainian aircraft back to their home bases, fearing Ukraine\u2019s now quite functional ground-based air defenses.\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_42952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42952\" class=\"size-large wp-image-42952\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Kinzhal-1200x675-1.jpg\" alt=\"MiG-31 Hypersonic Kinzhal\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Kinzhal-1200x675-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kinzhal-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Kinzhal-768x432-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Kinzhal-1024x576-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Kinzhal-600x337-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Kinzhal.jpg 1280w\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-42952\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ALBM being carried by a Mikoyan MiG-31K interceptor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>However, the R-37M missile<em> does <\/em>allow MiG-31s, and increasingly Su-35Ss, to take shots at Ukrainian jets without entering the range of Ukrainian ground-based defenses. As the report says, this gives them \u201c\u2026significant freedom to menace Ukrainian aircraft near the frontlines from outside the range of Ukrainian defences.\u201d Russian Su-35S jets have also increasingly been seen armed with R-37M missiles.\n<\/p>\n<p>That said, a Russian interview suggests the long-range missile shots <em>do <\/em>require clearance from an airborne command post (on an Il-22 \u2018Coot-B\u2019 aircraft) before firing, likely to avoid friendly fire.\n<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the report, there were sound reasons to doubt Russia was fielding large numbers of R-37Ms. Russia\u2019s military struggled for years to produce and deploy enough R-77-1 air-to-air long-range missiles intended for general-purpose use, while the R-37M was a larger, more exotic weapon.\n<\/p>\n<p>Now it seems Russia\u2019s inventory of the R-37M is large enough to expend liberally, even when each individual shot as low odds of a killing a maneuverable combat jet.\n<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A still from a new Russian MoD clip that shows a VKS Su-35S departing on a counterair patrol armed with 2 R-73\/74M short-range air-to-air missiles (AAMs), 2 R-77-1 medium-range AAMs, 2 R-37M long-range AAMs, and 1 Kh-31P-series (likely a Kh-31PM) anti-radiaion missile (ARM). <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/K8vkenSxGL\">pic.twitter.com\/K8vkenSxGL<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GuyPlopsky\/status\/1591693305053863941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 13, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>By contrast, Fischer speculates the R-37\u2019s increased use might reflect a shortage of the more maneuverable R-77-1 and R-27 missiles.\n<\/p>\n<p>There are also <a href=\"https:\/\/militarywatchmagazine.com\/article\/extreme-range-su57-su-27-kill-reports\">dubiously-sourced claims<\/a> that one of Russia\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/10\/russia-claims-upgraded-su-57-finally-made-debut-flight\/\">Su-57 stealth fighters<\/a>\u2014a type that appears barely active, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/10\/russias-su-57-stealth-fighter-now-fighting-in-ukraine\/\">if used at all<\/a>, over Ukraine\u2014downed a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter over Belbek, Russia, from a distance of 135 miles using an R-37M.\n<\/p>\n<h3><strong>MiG-31: Old Technology, New Mission<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The MiG-31 was initially designed to defend the Soviet Union\u2019s sprawling borders against infiltrating nuclear-armed enemy bombers\u2014American <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/11\/the-b-52-bomber-is-getting-some-big-updates-but-is-it-a-waste-of-money\/\">B-52<\/a>s, B-1s and FB-111 Aardvarks. Optimized to shoot down bombers with long-range missiles rapidly, the MiG-31 isn\u2019t very maneuverable. It has poor crew visibility, leaving it disadvantaged at within-visual range combat with enemy fighters.\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_71072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71072\" class=\"size-large wp-image-71072\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MiG-31-1200x675-1.jpg\" alt=\"MiG-31\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MiG-31-1200x675-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/MiG-31-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MiG-31-768x432-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MiG-31-1024x576-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MiG-31-600x337-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MiG-31.jpg 1344w\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-71072\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">MiG-31 fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>On the other hand, it was blindingly <em>fast<\/em>\u2013inheriting the Mach 3 maximum speed of the preceding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/06\/meet-the-mig-25-foxbat-russias-speed-demon\/\">MiG-25 Foxbat interceptor<\/a> with a \u00a0\u2018look-down, shoot down\u2019 Zaslon N007 phased-array radar (backed by a short-range infrared sensor) that could detect low-flying bombers and cruise missiles. Datalinks allowed the Foxhound crew and ground-based air defense units to \u2018see\u2019 through each other\u2019s sensors, exchanging missile guidance data.\n<\/p>\n<p>The modernized MiG-31BM model features the more capable Zaslon-M radar with a maximum detection range of 250 miles for larger aerial targets (airliner-like aircraft like the E-3 or E7 AWACS), and ability to engage six targets simultaneously. That allows the pilot to leverage the longer range of improved R-37M missiles.\n<\/p>\n<p>The further modernized MiG-31BSM variant also features a refueling probe, extending its potential range, a rear-view cockpit periscope, a more heat-resistant canopy allowing sustained supersonic cruising at Mach 2.4 (at that speed, incoming air molecules produce a <em>lot<\/em> of friction), and a new Baget-55-06 computer with multi-functional displays and a new ground-attack and anti-ship capability.\n<\/p>\n<p>MiG-31s reportedly began flying patrol early in the war, mainly from a base in Belbek in the Crimean Peninsula. On October 1<sup>st<\/sup>, one Foxhound from the 790<sup>th<\/sup> Fighter Regiment skidded off the runway during takeoff, caught fire, and exploded. Only the WSO managed to eject in time.\n<\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<\/p>\n<p>In October several MiG-31s were deployed to Belarus\u2014including specialized MiG-31Ks (AKA MiG-31Is) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/sebastienroblin\/2022\/02\/08\/russia-deploys-hypersonic-missile-to-baltic-in-range-of-nato-capitols\/?sh=2a1e0e03217e\">equipped to launch Kinzhal hypersonic ground attack missiles<\/a>. These have already conducted a few strikes on targets in Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n<h3><strong>MiG-31 and That Range Challenge<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Sooner or later, Ukraine will eventually acquire Western jets\u2014likely affordable tactical fighters like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/10\/watch-why-f-16-fighters-flew-over-disney-world\/\">F-16<\/a> or Swedish-built <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/10\/jas-39-gripen-fighter-to-ukraine\/\">JAS 39 Gripen<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p>These will remain outranged by the MiG-31BM\u2019s missiles and radar, but should have much better sensors and countermeasures to detect incoming R-37s and evade them while still in the \u2018escape zone.\u2019 The range gap will also be much narrower for jets armed with Meteor or AIM-120 long-range missiles (around 60-120 miles) than Ukraine\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/09\/how-do-russias-modern-su-35s-and-flankers-stack-up-against-ukraines-su-27s-and-mig-29s\/\">current Su-27 and MiG-29 jets with R-27 missiles<\/a> (25-50 miles)\u2014and the MiG-31 has large radar cross-section. That might compel MiG-31s to engage from greater distances (and thus a lower probability of a kill).\n<\/p>\n<p>Admittedly, it\u2019s tricky to judge whether Russia\u2019s use of VLRAAMs in Ukraine is applicable beyond the context of the Ukraine-Russia air war, where the former\u2019s jets are at a significant technical disadvantage. Still, Russia\u2019s successful use suggests they may be more effective and affordable than previously thought, with broader uses in air-to-air combat for a weapon previously seen as a specialized killer of AWACS, bombers, and air-refueling tankers.\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8497\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8497\" class=\"size-large wp-image-8497\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/U.S.-Russia-Arctic-War-1200x800-1.jpg\" alt=\"MiG-31\" width=\"880\" height=\"587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/U.S.-Russia-Arctic-War-1200x800-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/U.S.-Russia-Arctic-War-300x200-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/U.S.-Russia-Arctic-War-768x512-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/U.S.-Russia-Arctic-War.jpg 1280w\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-8497\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image: Creative Commons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>That may boost the Pentagon\u2019s own apparent work on a VLRAAM for its non-stealth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/10\/f-35-vs-f-15ex-what-is-the-difference\/\">F-15EX jets<\/a>\u2014and work on counter-measures to protect its \u2018backfield\u2019 AWACS and tanker aircraft. The VLRAAM might also be an attractive weapon for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/11\/b-21-raider-stealth-bomber-the-definitive-guide\/\">forthcoming B-21 bomber<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p><em>S\u00e9bastien Roblin writes on the technical, historical, and political aspects of international security and conflict for publications including The National Interest,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/think\/opinion\/navy-spent-30b-16-years-fight-iran-littoral-combat-ship-ncna1031806\">NBC News<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/sebastienroblin\/#457ee8ba2082\">Forbes.com<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/warisboring.com\/author\/sebastien-a-roblin\/\">War is Boring<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/author\/sebastien-roblin\/\">19FortyFive<\/a>, where he is Defense-in-Depth editor. He holds a Master\u2019s degree from Georgetown University and served with the Peace Corps in China.\u00a0\u00a0You can follow his articles on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sebastienroblin\">Twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russia\u2019s Ultrafast MiG-31 \u2018Foxhound\u2019 Interceptors Use Hypersonic Missiles to Harry Ukrainian Jets: Russia\u2019s fleet of two-seater MiG-31 Foxhound jets, built originally as highly specialized Soviet air defense interceptors, have been<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1743264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1743261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1743261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1743261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1743261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1743264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1743261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1743261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1743261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}