Hidden beneath the shifting sands of desert battlefields, relics of countless conflicts remain, yet discovering a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 is exceptionally uncommon. Dubbed the “Foxbat” by NATO, this Soviet interceptor was designed with a singular focus: extreme speed. Able to outpace nearly any adversary of its time, the MiG-25 dominated high-altitude airspace during the Cold War, making it a coveted asset not only for the USSR but also for nations such as Iraq, Syria, India, and Algeria.
The MiG-25RB, or “Foxbat-B,” stands out for its combination of reconnaissance and strike capabilities. Engineered for long-range intelligence-gathering missions, it could also carry up to eight 500-kilogram bombs, offering a high-speed bombing option when needed. This rare combination of rapidity, versatility, and striking power solidified the MiG-25RB’s status as one of the most formidable aircraft of its generation.
This is the same interceptor shown in the picture above. American troops uncovered it at the start of the Iraq War. In April 2003, they unearthed it from deep underground at Al Taqaddum Air Base, which is in Iraq’s western desert.
Although intelligence reports indicated that items were buried in the area, finding this aircraft was still a surprise. As former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put it, “We’d heard a great many things had been buried, but we had not known where they were, and we’d been operating in that immediate vicinity for weeks and weeks and weeks… 12, 13 weeks, and didn’t know they were [there].”
The recovered MiG-25RB was discovered in relatively good condition, although its wings had been removed prior to burial and were missing from the site. Experts believe Iraqi personnel concealed the aircraft during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to keep it from being destroyed or falling into coalition hands. Today, the aircraft is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where it remains on display as an uncommon and publicly viewable example of modern military aviation.
The find was not unique. Around the same time, U.S. troops located several other hidden aircraft, including additional MiG models and a number of Sukhoi Su-25s. Collectively, these discoveries demonstrated the lengths to which Iraq went to conceal and protect its air fleet in the face of overwhelming coalition air dominance during the war.
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The decision to bury the jets reflected a desperate attempt to save them from near-certain destruction. Prior to the 2003 invasion, Iraq possessed one of the largest air forces in the region, complete with modern fighters, fortified hangars, and advanced maintenance facilities. However, once coalition aircraft achieved near-total air supremacy, Iraqi leaders realized their planes could not survive in open combat. Concealing the jets beneath the desert sands became a last-resort strategy to preserve at least part of the fleet, highlighting the extreme measures taken when facing overwhelming aerial dominance.