He said that the record was set during drills in which the crews of the MiG-31BMs, stationed in eastern Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region, covered almost 8,000 kilometers to reach their new destination in southern Russia's Astrakhan region.
"Currently, the crews of the 14th Aerospace Forces army and Air Defense Force of the Central Military District are the only ones who perform long-distance flights on board the MiG-31 with three air refueling operations," Roshupkin said.
One of the crewmembers, described the latest flight as the "longest in the entire 36-year operating history of the MiG-31BMs".
It is a long-range supersonic interceptor jet designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at extremely low, medium and high altitudes.
The two-seater plane can intercept targets up to 320 kilometers away and simultaneously engage up to six targets thanks to its advanced radar and long-range missiles. It can operate efficiently in all weather conditions and is equipped with state-of-the-art digital avionics.
