Tom already answered, but I feel I have to jump in...

M *@*.* wrote in message ...
SNIP
Su-24 and MiG-25 seem like very different type of aircraft to me.
25P-series being interceptors and 25RB-series being hihg-altitude
recce-bombers. Su-24, on the other hand, excels in the low-level
strike/bomber role (eg the M-series), also having tac recce and EW
versions.

Su-24/24M/MK are all strike aircraft of the same use as tactical F-111 (TF,
wide-range weapons etc.). Su-24MK is an export version.
Su-24MR is reconnaissance version.
Su-24MP is simmilar in use as former EF-111A.

Now, Vladimir Malukh was working on Su-24M - Su-24MK (export) "upgrade"
(read:downgrade conversion and he wrote that it was one hell of a job and
it would have been easier to build a new ones!


In particular, I can't imagine that someone would purchase Su-24's for
the interceptor role, ie instead of MiG-25PDZ. But Tom seems to imply
this above, and this I find strange.

PD-Z-? What the heck is that? -Serial- MiG-25PD with IFR? I know about PDSL
and M prototypes, Mach 3.7(!)MA proposal and some other "letters"...

MiG-25RBV is supposed to be a '78 vintage RB with "general" ELINT device
"Virash", supplemented with more modern MiG-25RBT with ELINT "Tangazh". (if
"radiotechnical reconnaissance " in Russian means that, "bokovoy RLS" means
SLAR). Then there are RBK, RBS, RBN, RBSh, BM, XYZ (sorry, I couldn't resist
on the last one! .

Nevertheless, I find Tom's comments on the Iran-Iraq war highly
interesting (I guess I should buy his book... .

It seems that F-14 did influence the design of MiG-31 quite a bit,
and it'd be very interesting to hear comments on how the Soviet
experience with Iranian Tomcats affected the development of MiG-31.
Otoh, the primary roles of 31 and 14 are rather different, fleet
defence vs homeland air defence (against cruise missiles in
particular).

Well, (off the top of my head), Fedotov took off MiG-25MP (a.k.a. MiG-31) at
1975 for the first flight, with phased array-model "Zaslon" prototype in
1976-77 and demonstrated tracking of 10 targets in 1978. So, no -direct-
influence of (at lest IRIAF) F-14.

Nele

NULLA ROSA SINE SPINA