Midland Publishing

Mikoyan Mig-25 Foxbat: Guardian of the Soviet Borders Red Star Volume 34

by  Yefim Gordon

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $36.95 ISBN 10: 1857802594 ISBN 13: 9781858702597 Review Sample Provided by Specialty Press- www.specialtypress.com The first time I heard about the Mig-25 was when LT Belenko defected to Japan. It was a big event and as a teenager I was very conscious of the stir it created. The mysterious and much vaunted Foxbat was found to be not so invulnerable. The next time the Mig-25 entered my consciousness was the winter of 87-88 when Iraqi Mig-25s would race down the Persian Gulf on photoreconnaissance runs mapping Iranian harbors in preparation for anti-ship missions. The plane was impressive with a run of 2.5 mach. We never saw it, it was just a symbol on a screen, but that symbol covered a lot of real estate in a short period of time. Today the Mig-25 is a relic of a different age. While the aircraft is still operational, the planes that are primarily flying are the reconnaissance variant where the mission is still required. As a high-speed interceptor the Mig-25 has been supplanted by the Mig-31, itself a relic. The format and style should be familiar by now and is similar to the other books of the Red-Star series. Softbound in 8 ½ x 11 format, it contains 144 pages with 250 B&W and color, excellent 3-view drawings and color profiles. The chapter breakdown of the book: Chapter 1 - A (Red) Star is Born Chapter 2 - The Foxbat Family Chapter 3 - Foxbat Anatomy Chapter 4 - Foxbats in Action Chapter 5 - Mig-25 Operators While there are not a lot of chapters or a high page count, don't be fooled, this is a book dense with information. Chapter One and Two outline the different designs the Mikoyan Gurevich bureau worked through until a prototype that looks like the Mig-25 finally flew. The rest of Chapter Two details the variants developed from the prototype and Yefim is always thorough in his coverage but frankly, his coverage makes your head spin. It is hard to discern which the significant variants are and which are one-of-a-kind. This chapter culminates in a dense color chart that maps the aircraft's development. Chapter Three is a boon for modelers, providing drawing and photographic detail on the interceptor, recon variant and the less than comely trainer. This is the best detail that I have seen in his many books and it included some unprecedented pictures of the radar on the interceptor and camera bays on the recon version. Chapter Four contains fascinating accounts of Foxbat operations. It starts with Soviet reconnaissance operations out of Egypt in the run up to and during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Next is the section on "The big defection" which chronicles Bellenko's flight, its impact in the USSR and the countermeasures taken to mitigate the compromise of such a sensitive aircraft. Yefim is a bit passionate in this section as he discusses the treasonous act. In summary the loss ultimately made the Mig-25 into a better plane. Lastly, he provides some small vignettes of the aircraft's use along the Iranian frontier, in the hands of the Syrians and of course by the Iraqis. Finally, Chapter Five summarizes the users of the aircraft by serial number. There are some nice color profiles in here as well as photographs. Following this chapter is a wealth of drawings including side views of all of the variants as more detailed views of the major types. More color profiles close out the book. There is no doubt that the Mig-25 is a landmark aircraft. At the height of the cold war it gave great concern to air planners and it gave the Soviet Union a counter to the pesky American reconnaissance aircraft. Like most cold warriors, the majority of its notable operational use was not against the rival it was designed against. This is one of Yefim Gordon's better books both in content and focus and a good modeling resource as well as a decent read. Special thanks to Specialty Press for providing the review copy; copies can be ordered directly at www.specialtypress.com.

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