The High-Speed Russian Fighter Jet That May Jump The SR-71 Blackbird As Fastest Plane – SlashGear

On the whole, experts are skeptical about the hypersonic speed and other longshot qualities of the MiG-41. SOFREP suggests that a lack of reports is the most telling, addressing claims made by Defense Minister Ilya Tarasenko in 2018: “Note that he stated this four years ago, and no official reports have surfaced regarding an update on this matter.” The same source notes that Russian media has shown no images of the supposed plane. Military Aerospace Aeronautics agrees, calling the MiG-41 “military vaporware” unlikely to emerge from development with anything like the promised specs.

National Interest feels otherwise, however. It takes a 2021 announcement from Russian aerospace manufacturer Rostec at face value. As National Interest rightly notes, Rostec’s announcement avoided the wild claims from state sources in favor of a simple (and considerably more plausible) statement:

“The development of the next generation of fighter interceptors has already begun. The project of the Advanced Aviation Complex for Long-Range Interception (PAK DP) is at the stage of development work.”

With conflicting sources and suspect claims, all that can confidently be said about the MiG-41 is that a next-generation interceptor is probably in production in Russia, and will probably not see wide use until 2025 at the earliest. But whether or not it will be the fastest jet in the world remains very much in doubt.