The Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25, known by the NATO reporting name "Foxbat," was the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) premier strategic reconnaissance platform and one of its most closely guarded secrets for a quarter-century. Inducted in 1981 into the No. 102 Squadron "Trisonics," the IAF operated the MiG-25RB variant, which was a dedicated, unarmed reconnaissance-bomber capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 2.8 and reaching altitudes of over 90,000 feet. Operating primarily from Bareilly Air Force Station, the Foxbat served as India's "superspy" in the sky during an era before advanced satellite surveillance. Its legendary performance allowed it to fly deep into hostile territory with complete impunity, a feat most famously demonstrated in May 1997. During a routine reconnaissance mission, an IAF MiG-25 flew directly over Islamabad at an altitude of approximately 65,000 feet. To signal the IAF’s absolute aerial dominance and the helplessness of the Pakistani air defenses, the pilot intentionally accelerated to supersonic speeds while over the capital. The resulting massive sonic boom rattled windows across the city and sent the Pakistan Air Force scrambling F-16s in a futile attempt to intercept the intruder, which had already vanished back into Indian airspace before they could even reach its altitude. After 25 years of distinguished service, including critical intelligence gathering during the 1999 Kargil War, the IAF retired the fleet in May 2006, marking the end of the era of high-altitude manned reconnaissance in Indian aviation.
