The MiG-25's speed was normally limited to Mach 2.83, but it could reach a maximum speed of at least Mach 3.2 with the risk of engine damage. The single-seat MiG-25 could achieve high speed, altitude and rate of climb however, it lacked maneuverability at interception speeds and was difficult to fly at low altitudes. The Russian Defence Ministry expects the MiG-31 to remain in service until at least 2030 that was confirmed in 2020 when an announcement was made to extend the service lifetime of the existing airframes from 2,500 to 3,500 hours. It continues to be operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces and Kazakh Air Defense Forces following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The MiG-31 along with its predecessor MiG-25 are the fastest combat jets in the world. The Mikoyan MiG-31 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-31 NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed for the Soviet Air Forces by the Mikoyan design bureau as a replacement for the earlier MiG-25 'Foxbat' the MiG-31 is based on and shares design elements with the MiG-25.
