Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird vs Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25
Side-by-side spec comparison with neutral percentage deltas.
Spec table
| Spec | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird | Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Max speed (mph) (mph) | 2,193 | 2,170 |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 3.2 | 2.83 |
| Combat radius / range (mi) | 3,337 | 1,075 |
| Service ceiling (ft) | 85,000 | 90,000 |
| MTOW (lb) | 172,000 | 80,952 |
| Empty weight (lb) | 67,500 | 44,000 |
| Payload (lb) | — | 4,000 |
| Endurance (hr) | 3 | 2.5 |
| Length (ft) | 107.4 | 73.2 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 55.6 | 45.9 |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio (MTOW) | 0.38 | 0.62 |
Green = leader on that dimension. Higher is treated as better for all rows shown.
On-paper verdict
- Max speed (mph): Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (+1%)
- Max speed (Mach): Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (+13%)
- Combat radius / range: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (+210%)
- Service ceiling: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (+6%)
- MTOW: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (+112%)
- Empty weight: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (+53%)
- Endurance: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (+20%)
- Length: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (+47%)
- Wingspan: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (+21%)
- Thrust-to-weight ratio (MTOW): Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (+64%)
Performance
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird tops out at 2193 mph and a service ceiling of 85000 ft. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 is rated at 2170 mph with a service ceiling of 90000 ft.
Range & payload
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird carries up to — lb over 3337 mi. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 carries 4000 lb over 1075 mi. Numbers above are the headline manufacturer figures — real-world performance trades payload against range against fuel reserves.
Engines
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: 2x Pratt & Whitney J58-P-4 turbo-ramjets with afterburner (65,000 lbf total).
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25: 2x Tumansky R-15BD-300 turbojets with afterburner (50,071 lbf total).
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird or Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25?
2193 mph (Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird) vs 2170 mph (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25).
Which has the longer range?
3337 mi (Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird) vs 1075 mi (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25).
What's the payload difference?
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: — lb · Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25: 4000 lb.
Are these specs current?
Specs come from each aircraft's manufacturer-published or Wikipedia-aggregated figures, current as of the page's last regeneration. Variants and block upgrades may carry different numbers — check the linked reference pages for the latest.
Which one was built first?
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: service entry 1966. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25: service entry 1970.
Sources
Spec values pulled from each aircraft's reference page in the gallery, which aggregates manufacturer-published figures with Wikipedia-cited sources:
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