Didn’t the Iraqis launch hundreds of exocets in the 1980s from Mirage F1 (as well as a few from Super Etenard and maybe even Falcon?)?

I do not believe they reached 100 launches. The vast majority of attacks on shipping were from Iranian AGM-65.

Gripen C is a Flanker killer in its current form and was designed with Fulcrum, Flanker, and S300 in mind as threats. People underestimate its abilities. The current Gripen is already one of the smallest radar signatures and uses networked passive sensors to Geo locate targets both on the surface and airborne.

Peru placed half the Su-22M force into their reserves, half stored for parts. They were not scrapped.

Stretching aluminum skin is easy, so I’d think it’s not the issue.

Seems silly that the name was used for one of their classes of boats, too.

Interesting link on Soviet missile development. http://www.missiles.ru/history.htm

MiG-31 is a role player in a niche the Su-30 and Su-35 cannot fill. I would guess that the MiG-31 would be a better complement to PAKFA than the Su-35, too. The phased radar array is second to no other fighter and the plane can daisy chain information with other MiG-31’s in a similar way to how the F-14D could. It lugs around true bomber destroying missiles (unjammable seekers) with the ability to use fire and forget missiles (IR and ARH) as it closes ranks with the target. I didn’t even mention yet that it is meant for true supersonic flight and not merely capable of a one time dash before repairs to the canopy, engines, and skin like most other fighters.

If they have a new modernization program it makes sense to roll it out on the largest block of airframes available. This may or may not be the MiG-31BM’s already modernized. I have a feeling they are the best candidates with mothballed airframes being too costly to refit. The BM’s were refit with the idea of future upgrades that should have already themselves happened. But to refit non-BM’s may mean retiring BM’s as a new variant rolls out.