In 1976, the Cold War was in full swing, the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in an arms race, and the whole world was divided into capitalist and socialist blocs. Then, 47 years ago, the desertion of a young Soviet pilot with the help of a jet fighter went down in history and caused a new wave of hostility between Japan, the USA and the USSR.

How a Soviet pilot deserted to Japan with a MiG-25

Lieutenant Viktor Belenko was 29 years old, he served as a pilot in the 530th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 11th Separate Air Defense Army. In service there were the most powerful MiG-25 fighters, known in NATO territory as Foxbat. The aircraft entered service six years earlier, and little was known about it in the Western world. In NATO countries, the MiG-25 caused fear, it was surrounded by myths and assumptions about how modern and extremely maneuverable a fighter is. The MiG-25 is still one of the fastest fighters in history, capable of reaching speeds of more than 3,100 km/h. The need to compete with him led to the creation of the F-15 Eagle, which eventually defeated him in battle many years later.

The young pilot was not enthusiastic about his life. Despite the fact that he was a MiG-25 pilot, he was dissatisfied with life behind the Iron Curtain. In addition, his wife Lyudmila was dissatisfied with the marriage and the life of the military family. Service at the Chuguevka Airbase was poorly organized, which reduced the morale of the serviceman. These reasons were enough for Lieutenant Belenko to plan his escape to the West - the first stage was a flight to Japan.

His plan was put into effect on September 06, 1976, when he took his MiG-25 on a training flight consisting of four aircraft. At some point, Belenko staged the breakdown of the fighter and began to descend. He was flying low over the ground towards Japan, and his goal was to land at Chitose Air Base on the island of Hokkaido. Japanese radar detected a plane approaching at high speed from the territory of the USSR. A pair of F-4EJ fighters of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) were called in to intercept the aircraft, but the interception was not carried out. The weather was bad, which hindered Belenko in his search for the Chitose base. Belenko was running out of fuel, he noticed the airport and decided that this was a suitable option. It turned out to be Hakodate Civil Airport, located south of Hokkaido Island. He circled this place three times before descending and touching the wheels of a huge twin-engine fighter to the Japanese ground. The runway was too short for the MiG-25, which rolled out of its limits and stopped in the grass. The police and armed forces were called to the scene, which isolated the area and closed the airport. The pilot was arrested and immediately asked for political asylum from the local authorities.

Viktor Belenko's defection caused a major diplomatic incident between Moscow, Washington and Tokyo. Three days after his escape, Belenko was sent to the United States under numerous protests from the USSR. At this time, the diplomats were resolving issues regarding the aircraft: how to gain time to study it as best as possible and not provoke an escalation of the conflict.

About 20 days after landing in Japan, the MiG was loaded onto a US Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircraft and delivered to the Hyakuri base north of Tokyo, where it was disassembled and thoroughly inspected by Japanese and American experts. Two months later, the plane was packed in boxes and returned to its homeland, which caused outrage from the USSR, where they said that 10 to 20 parts of the aircraft were missing. The Soviet government was extremely dissatisfied with the current situation and sent Japan a demand for payment of $ 10 million for damage caused to the aircraft. Japan has recovered $40,000 for damage to Hakodate Airport and shipping costs. None of the bills were paid. Inspection of the aircraft showed that the MiG-25 was not at all what the West imagined it to be. Despite its speed, it was not a maneuverable fighter, but rather an interceptor that had to get to the target, shoot it down and return to base as quickly as possible. His instruments, including a giant radar, were considered functional, but rudimentary. And its huge engines could not be used at full capacity for a long time.

In the USA, Belenko told everything he knew about the USSR army and revealed countless military secrets. He participated in US training programs, where he even flew as an instructor. He became an aerospace engineer, married an American woman and continued to work in the market as a consultant.