It is a fascinating account of life in soviet russia, contrasted with his new life in the us. Viktor belenko, a pilot in the soviet air defense command, flew his highly classified mig 25 to japan and asked for asylum. Foxbat is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that was among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Til that in 1976, a soviet pilot defected to japan in his advanced mig25 fighter, which russia demanded be returned. His superiors would hardly have been too upset if he had. The defection of viktor belenko, the pilot who stole the. After belenkos defection to japan exposed this flaw to the west, a government decree issued on november 4, 1976 called for urgent development of a more advanced radar. A soviet pilot defected to japan with the secretive mig25. Lieutenant belenko was a pilot with the 5th fighter regiment, 11th air army, soviet air defence forces based in chuguyevka, primorsky krai. How the defection of viktor belenko inspired clint.
In the sequel, firefox down, the description was more like the mig31 in the 1982 movie. On such missions, to ensure that no soviet pilot could defect and make it to japan the nearest airport in the free world, the fuel levels were always carefully recorded and limited. His name became known worldwide on september 6, 1976, when he successfully defected to the west, flying his mig25 foxbat jet fighter to. On this day russian defector viktor belenko lands mig25.
The then lieutenant belenko was a pilot with the 5th fighter regiment, 11th air army. He high tailed it to japan the very first time he had a full fuel load, taking. How a defecting soviet pilot showed the us the mig25 was. The book mig pilot by john barron is about victor belenko defecting to japan in his mig 25. The final escape of lieutenant belenko is a 1980 biography by john barron about the life and 1976 defection of soviet mikoyangurevich mig25 fighter pilot viktor belenko to the united states. The story of viktor belenko, a mig 25 pilot who defected to the united states via japan on sept. Interesting article but i dispute the point that the mig 25 lead to the production of the f15. Kinda like the hellcat was developed after examination of. Bush, the director of central intelligence at the time, called the opportunity to examine the plane up close an intelligence bonanza for the west. His defection to the united states caused tension between japan and the ussr. Memoir of the wartime north korean defector who first. Subsequent analysis revealed a simpleyetfunctional design with vacuumtube electronics, two massive turbojet engines, and sparing use of advanced materials such as titanium. Yes, all the stuff about stealing a mig 25 is interesting.
Even if you know a lot about the cold war, chances are good youve probably never heard of viktor belenko. Marcell rene gough 1965 on this day russian defector viktor belenko lands mig25 in japan september 6. Air force defector lt viktor i belenko depicts grim life at mig25 bases to us interrogators. On 6 september 1976, viktor ivanovich belenko successfully defected to the west, flying his mig25 foxbat jet fighter to hakodate, japan. Viktor belenko, a pilot who stole a mig25 and landed in japan on sept. As explained by yefim gordon in his book mig25 foxbat mig31. How the crazy defection of soviet pilot viktor belenko. The then lieutenant belenko was a pilot with the 5th fighter regiment, 11th air army, bas. It was designed by the soviet unions mikoyangurevich bureau and is one of the few combat aircraft built primarily using stainless steel.
Viktor belenko, is a mig25 pilot who defected to the united states via japan on sept. The then lieutenant belenko was a pilot with the 5th fighter regiment, 11th air. Belenko took off with his flight of mig25 for a regular training mission. Viktor belenko, a pilot who stole a mig25 and landed in. Published october 1st 1983 by avon books first published 1980. The mig25 foxbat was an incredible rat rod of a planeheavy, big and extraordinarily powerfuland it indirectly led to the development of western.
Yes, all the stuff about stealing a mig25 is interesting. Iranian russianmade mig29s perform a flyover during a military demonstration in 2006. How a soviet pilot brought a secret warplane to the west. Lt viktor belenko was a mig25 pilot one of russias elite warriors and the supreme expression of the ideal communist man. The story of viktor belenko, a mig25 pilot who defected to the united states via japan on sept. Belenko was born in nalchik, russian sfsr in a ukrainian family.
The story of viktor belenkos defection, and particularly his acclimatization to life in the united states, was told. Viktor belenko, a pilot who stole a mig25 and landed in japan on september 6, 1976. After being inspected by the foreign technology division of the united states dod, the mig 25 was released to japan who then returned it in pieces to the soviet union after having been disassembled and analyzed by the united states. The defection of viktor belenko took place on september 6, 1976 when lieutenant viktor belenko of the soviet air defence forces flew his mikoyangurevich mig 25p foxbat aircraft from near vladivostok in the far east of the soviet union to hakodate airport in hokkaido prefecture of japan. The defection of viktor belenko took place on september 6, 1976 when lieutenant viktor belenko of the soviet air defence forces flew his mikoyan gurevich mig25p foxbat. The rigid and clear lines of command under the soviet system got the design bureaux and defence industry working hard, and a muchimproved mig25pd entered production in just two and a half years after the scandalous defection. Viktor ivanovich belenko is a former soviet pilot who defected to the west while flying his mig25 foxbat jet fighter and landed in hakodate, japan. A very japanese arrangement to dismantle a soviet mig25. The mig25 was of special importance to the soviet air defence, since until the mig31 entered service it was the.
He was a lieutenant in the soviet air force and an ace fighter pilot. The story of the soviet pilot who defected to japan with a secretive. How a soviet pilots defection to japan benefitted mig. It is an amazing read,i would recommend it to anyone with even the slightest interest in russia, aeroplanes or 20th century history. Mikoyangurevich mig25 wikipedia republished wiki 2. Viktor belenko, a pilot who stole a mig 25 and landed in japan on sept. With his defection, he gave the western intelligence officers the opportunity to give a first close look at one of the most secretive airplanes of. One of the most fascinating story occurred during the cold war was the defection of soviet pilot named viktor belenko, who decided to defect and landed in japan, flying the most powerful and secret jet of soviets air force. The mig 25 s capabilities were not discovered until 1976 when viktor belenko, a soviet mig 25 pilot, defected to japan. Lt viktor belenko was a mig25 pilot one of russias elite warriors and the supreme.
Asylumseekers famous and not so famous soviet defectors by editor 7 october, 20 2 comments on sept. The real value of this story is its account of life in the workers paradise known as the ussr. An unintended effect of belenkos defection to japan was to dramatically boost the scales of hasegawa model companys 172 scale model kit of the mig25 for months immediately afterwards. Chapter one and two outline the different designs the mikoyan gurevich bureau worked through until. Mig25 foxbat by yefim gordon, 9781857802597, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Yesterday, the subject of the mig25 defection to japan in september of 1976 came up. Mikoyangurevich mig25 national museum of the united. Story of defected soviet mig25 pilot who landed in japan. When pilot viktor belenko defected, he did so in a mysterious soviet plane the mig25. Soviet pilot viktor belenko, in 1976, went rogue and defected in a mig25 to the united states through japan. The story of victor belenko, the mig25 pilot who defected with his aircraft to japan in 1976 and gave western intelligence agencies an exclusive look at one of the most feared aircraft of its day. Asylumseekers famous and not so famous soviet defectors.
He defected to turkey in 1989 flying a mig29 fulcrum. By the time the mig25 entered service in 1969, this was a serious shortcoming, as strategic bombing doctrine was shifting towards lowlevel penetration of enemy territory. Heres why the mig25 foxbat never could touch the sr71. Defected soviet mig25 being inspected by american and. Thirtyseven years ago today, on september 6, 1976, while flying his mig25 foxbat fighter on a. Japan complied, but only after allowing american engineers to examine the aircraft. Viktor belenko, a pilot who stole a mig25 and landed in japan on. Back in the 1970s there was a lot of similar concern about the mig25, the ussrs most advanced and highly secret fighter plane. The f15 was in development, and indeed had been in combat israel before belenko made his stop in japan.
Military themed kits continued to remain hasegawas main focus for some time and unlike its competitors, diversification into other product categories like. Til that in 1976, a soviet pilot defected to japan in his. The story of mig25 foxbat garuda pakistans nightmare. I bought this book because i saw a reference to belenkos defection in a recent discussion about red chinas socalled stealth fighter. The then lieutenant belenko was a pilot with the 5th fighter regiment, 11th air army, based in chuguyevka, primorsky krai, in the east of the country. In fact as explained by lou drendel in his book sr71 blackbird. How one soviet pilot pulled the sheet off the ghostly mig25. But belenkos defection in 1976 with a foxbat, the nato codename for the mig25 the russians dont call it that, was an intelligence. The then lieutenant belenko was a pilot with the 5th fighter regiment, 11th air army, based in chuguyevka. On may 20, 1989, captain aleksandr zuyev defected with his mikoyan mig 29 to trabzon, turkey. The defection of viktor belenko, the pilot who stole the supersecret. Belenkos defection was mentioned in the novel firefox by craig thomas, on which clint eastwoods movie is based. According to an interesting post appeared on quora, in the book theres a mail conversation the snail mail kind, since it was published in 1977 and takes place a short time after in which they discuss belenkos defection. On september 6, 1976 a mig25 foxbat, the most advanced soviet fighter jet at the time, landed at hokadote airport in hokkaido, japan.
While there are not a lot of chapters or a high page count, dont be fooled, this is a book dense with information. Was the relative crudity of the mig25 a surprise to the u. If you ever thought communism was a good thing, this book will tell you what that idea does to people and society. Someone argues that the new mig31 firefox is not a big deal, since they already have belenkos mig25, while. The western analysts who had a quick look at the aircraft were shocked by the unusual solutions mikoyan applied to the kinetic heating pr. The pilot who stole a secret soviet fighter jet bbc future. As the cold war grew in intensity in the 1950s, and the first mach 2 aircraf. After his defection, mig25 pilot viktor belenko stated that the sr71 flew too high and fast for the mig25 to intercept it, suggesting that the sr71s altitude capabilities are not only in excess of its published cruising altitude of circa 75,000ft, but of the service ceiling of the foxbats as well. How a soviet pilot defected to the west with the most. A mig25 foxbat, the kind of plane belenko flew to japan. How a defecting soviet pilot showed the us the mig25 was a paper tiger and no, this story doesnt involve clint eastwood.
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