Rostec confirms development of PAK DP MiG-41 to replace MiG-31.

The Mikoyan MiG-41 or PAK DP (Prospective air complex for long-range interception) is a stealth interceptor aircraft/heavy fighter under development by Mikoyan Gurevitch. The aircraft is intended to replace the MiG-31 in the Russian Air Force in mid-2020s. According to the Russian defence analyst Vasily Kashin, the MiG-41 would be considered as a 5++ or 6th generation project.

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MiG-41 or PAK DP (Prospective air complex for long-range interception) (Picture source: Rostec)

The work on the supersonic PAK DP MiG-41 interceptor is making use of the MiG-701 (Izdeliye 7.01), MiG-301 and Mikoyan MiG-321 projects begun in the 1990s. It was speculated that it could enter service by the mid-2020s or 2030s. As an interceptor, its primary mission was rumored to offset future reconnaissance aircraft currently being developed by the U.S. and China. To achieve the high speeds rumoured for the aircraft, the aircraft would need to be equipped with ramjet or turboramjet engines.

The design of the MiG-41 was finalized by the end of 2019, at the same time the research work was completed. In 2020, within that research framework, the Russian Ministry of Defense selected the most promising project. Work in this area now continues in R&D. Ilya Tarasenko, the general director of the MiG corporation, as well as the head of the Sukhoi company, said in an interview in July 2020 that the PAK DP will be created on the basis of the MiG-31's design.

According to Izvestia, the MiG-41 is envisioned to become an interceptor of hypersonic missiles by carrying a multifunctional long-range interceptor missile system (MPKR DP) that will dispense several sub-missiles in order to increase the chance of intercepting hypersonic weapons. The PAK DP is also intended to carry anti-satellite missiles.

In January 2021, Rostec Corporation, the owner of Mikoyan, announced that the MiG-41 had now entered the development phase.