Interceptors in The Soviet Union and Russia
During the Cold War, an entire military service, not just an arm of the pre-existing air force, was designated for their use. The planes of the Soviet Anti-Air Defense (PVO-S) differed from those of the Soviet Air Force (VVS) in that they were by no means small or crudely simple, but huge and refined with large, sophisticated radars; they could not take off from grass, only concrete runways; they could not be disassembled and shipped back to a maintenance center in a boxcar. Similarly, their pilots were given less training in combat maneuvers, and more in radio-directed pursuit. The main interceptor was first the Su-9, then the Su-15, and then the MiG-25. The auxiliary Tu-28, an area range interceptor, was notably the heaviest fighter aircraft ever to see service in the world. The latest and most advanced interceptor aircraft is the MiG-31. Although it is the first one to carry an internal cannon, to this day it remains too cumbersome for dogfights with the contemporary air superiority fighters.
Russia, despite merging the PVO into the VVS, still plans to maintain a number of dedicated interceptors.
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