In the late 1950s, at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was in dire need of an aircraft capable of reconnaissance at altitudes inaccessible to American fighters. The answer to this challenge came in the form of a deep modification of the Yak-25 fighter, designated the Yak-25RV. This aircraft was developed in response to the emergence of the American Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, which made 24 unpunished flights over Soviet territory in 1956-1960.
The Yak-25RV was a completely new aircraft, different from its predecessor, the Yak-25R. The design of the aircraft underwent significant changes, including a reconfiguration of the fuselage, replacement of the sweep wing with a straight wing, and a change in the landing gear retraction scheme. But the main change was the installation of a new wing with a larger area and wingspan, which increased wing extension and improved aerodynamic efficiency.
The aircraft was designed for a practical ceiling of 20000-21000 metres, with a maximum speed of 900 km/h at an altitude of 15000 metres and 800 km/h at an altitude of 20000 metres. The range at an altitude of 20000 metres was 2500 km, at an altitude of 16000-18000 metres – 3500 km and at an altitude of 13000-14000 metres – 5000 km. To achieve the necessary high-altitude performance, the Yak-25RV was equipped with high-altitude engines R-11V-300, which provided high thrust-to-weight ratio. In July 1959, test pilot Vladimir Smirnov set two world altitude records on the Yak-25RV with a load of 2,000 and 1,000 kg, reaching 20,174 and 20,456 metres respectively.
In 1961, the Yak-25RV was adopted by the Soviet Army. However, despite its high flight characteristics, the aircraft had a number of shortcomings. The lack of air brakes and flaps limited its manoeuvrability, and the short engine life and imperfect equipment made it difficult to operate. At the same time, given its high speed and altitude characteristics, in addition to its reconnaissance role, the Yak-25RV was actively used as a target aircraft in the development of interception systems.
In 1961-1965, 155 Yak-25RVs were produced, of which 74 were manned and 81 were unmanned. After reaching the end of their service life, most of the manned Yak-25RVs were converted to radio-controlled unmanned target aircraft until they were replaced by the more modern MiG-25R/RB and target cruise missiles. The Yak-25RV was the first Soviet high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft that could stand up to the American Lockheed U-2 and played an important role in the development of intercept systems.
Today, the Yak-25RV can be seen at the Russian Air Force Museum in Monino (Moscow region), where it is one of the rare exhibits that recall the achievements of Soviet aircraft construction during the Cold War.
