Pit stop at 23,000ft: MiG-31 performs nighttime mid-air refueling (VIDEO)

Pilots from Russia’s Pacific Fleet executed nighttime mid-air refueling as part of various drills performed Tuesday over the skies of Kamchatka in the Russian Far East.

Ruptly footage shows the complicated maneuver being performed at 23,000ft (7,000 meters) and at a speed of 300mph (500kph). Fifteen refueling operations were successfully carried out using an Ilyushin tanker.

The Mikoyan MiG-31 is a long-range supersonic interceptor aircraft derived from the MiG-25 Foxbat. More than 35 years old, the iconic Soviet-era warplane is still used by Russia as part of its multi-layered air defense network thanks to its various modernizations.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!