bbchausa verticals/036 soviet pilot

1. The pilot who stole a secret Soviet fighter jet [1] <> Matukin da ya saci jirgin yakin Tarayyar Sobiyat [2] ==

   On 6 September 1976, [3] <> A ranar 6 ga watan Satumbar 1976, [4] ==

   an aircraft appears out of the clouds near the Japanese city of Hakodate, [5] <> wani jirgin sama ya bayyana cikin girgijen saman birnin Japan na Hakodate, [6] ==

   on the northern island of Hokkaido. [7] <> da ke Arewacin tsibirin Hokaido. [8] ==

   It’s a twin-engined jet, [9] <> Jirgi ne mai tagwayen injuna, [10] ==

   but not the kind of short-haul airliner Hakodate is used to seeing. [11] <> amma ba dan qaramin jirgin da aka saba gani a Hakodate ba. [12] ==

   This huge, grey hulk sports the red stars of the Soviet Union. [13] <> Babban jirgin, mai launin toka-toka mai adon jajayen taurarin tarayyar Sobiyat ne. [14] ==

   No-one in the West has ever seen one before. [15] <> Babu wanda ya taba ganinsa a Yammacin Turai gabanin bayyanarsa. [16] ==

   The jet lands on Hakodate’s concrete-and-asphalt runway. [17] <> Wannan jirgi ya sauka a titin zaryar sauka da tashin jirage na Hakodate. [18] ==

   The runway, it turns out, is not long enough. [19] <> Titin zaryar ya kasance mara isasshen tsawo. [20] ==

   The jet ploughs through hundreds of feet of earth [21] <> Jirgin ya bazu tsawonsa ya kai kafa daruruwa [22] ==

   before it finally comes to rest at the far end of the airport. [23] <> kafin ya zauna daram a karshen filin jiragen saman. [24] ==

   The pilot climbs out of the plane’s cockpit [25] <> Matukin jirgin ya fito daga kebabben wurin zamansa, [26] ==

   and fires two warning shots from his pistol – [27] <> sai ya yi harbin gargadi sau biyu daga qaramar bindigarsa- [28] ==

   motorists on the road next to the airport [29] <> masu motocin da ke tafiya a kan titi a kusa da filin jirgin [30] ==

   have been taking pictures of this strange sight. [31] <> suna ta daukar hotunan wannan abu da ba a saba gani ba. [32] ==

   It is some minutes before airport officials, driving from the terminal, reach him. [33] <> An dauki wasu ministoci kafin jami'an kula da filin jirgin saman suka tuko mota daga wurin sauka da tashin fasinjoji, suka same shi. [34] ==

   It is then that the 29-year-old pilot, [35] <> Daganan sai wannan matukin jirgin mai shekaru 29, [36] ==

   Flight Lieutenant Viktor Ivanovich Belenko [37] <> Fulayit Laftanar Viktor Ivanovich Belenko, [38] ==

   of the Soviet Air Defence Forces, announces that he wishes to defect. [39] <> daga rundunar tsaron sojan saman Sobiyat ya ce yana son sauya sheka (tserewa daga kasarsa). [40] ==

   It is no normal defection. [41] <> Ba kasafai aka saba sauyin sheka ba. [42] ==

   Belenko has not wandered into an embassy, [43] <> Belenko bai yi tattaki zuwa ofishin jakadanci ba, [44] ==

   or jumped ship while visiting a foreign port. [45] <> ko shiga jirgin ruwa a lokacin da ya ziyarci tashar jiragen ruwa a kasar waje. [46] ==

   The plane that he has flown 400-odd miles, [47] <> Jirgin da ya tuko ya ci har mil 400, [48] ==

   and which now sits stranded at the end of a provincial Japanese runway, is the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25. [49] <> kuma yake tsaye a farfajiyar titin zaryar Japan, shi ne kirar Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25. [50] ==

   It is the most secretive aircraft the Soviet Union has ever built. Until Belenko’s landing, that is. [51] <> Shi ne jirgin sirri da tarayyar Sobiyat ta taba kerawa. [52] ==

   -- [53] <> --- [54] ==

   The West first became aware of what would become known as the MiG-25 around 1970. [55] <> Turai ta samu masaniya kan irin wannan jirgi kirar MiG-25 cikin shekarar 1970. [56] ==

   Spy satellites stalking Soviet airfields picked up a new kind of aircraft being tested in secret. [57] <> Taurarin dan Adam na leken asiri da ke kai-kawo a filayen saukar jiragen saman Sobiyat sun dauko hoton wani sabon jirgin sama da ake gwajinsa cikin sirri. [58] ==

   They looked like enormous fighter planes, [59] <> Fasalinsa kamar babban jirgin yaki, [60] ==

   and the West’s militaries [61] <> Kuma rundunar sojojin Yammacin Turai [62] ==

   were concerned by one particular feature; they sported very large wings. [63] <> sun damu matuka game da siffar da suka gani mai manyan fuka-fuki. [64] ==

   A large wing area is very useful in a fighter plane – [65] <> Babban fuffuke na da matukar amfani ga jirgin yaki – [66] ==

   it helps generate lift [67] <> yana taimakawa wajen dagawa, [68] ==

   and it also decreases the amount of weight distributed across the wing, [69] <> kuma yana rage nauyin da ke bazuwa kan fuffuken, [70] ==

   which helps make it more nimble and easier to turn. [71] <> wanda ke tallafa masa wajen yin hanzari da saukin juyi. [72] ==

   This Soviet jet seemed to combine this ability [73] <> Wannan jirgin Sobiyat ya tara wannan karfi [74] ==

   with a pair of enormous engines. [75] <> tare da manyan injuna. [76] ==

   How fast could it go? [77] <> Ko yaya nisan gudunsa yake? [78] ==

   Could anything in the US Air Force or other militaries keep up with it? [79] <> Ko akwai kwatankwacinsa a rundunar sojan saman Amurka ko sauran rundunonin soja da za su iya yin daidai da shi? [80] ==

   There had also been glimpses in the Middle East. [81] <> An kyallo irin wannan a Gabas ta Tsakiya. [82] ==

   In March 1971, Israel picked up a strange new aircraft that accelerated to Mach 3.2 – [83] <> Cikin Maris din 1971, Isra'ila ta fito da wani sabon jirgi da aka daga kimarsa zuwa kirar Mach 3.2 – [84] ==

   more than three times the speed of sound – and climbed to 63,000ft (nearly 20 kilometres). [85] <> gudunsa ya nunka gudun sauti sau uku - yana kuma cin nisan kafa dubu 63 (kimanin kilomita 20) a sama. [86] ==

   The Israelis, and US intelligence advisors, [87] <> Gwamnatin Isra'ila da masu bayar da shawarar asiri kan harkokin tsaron Amurka, [88] ==

   had never seen anything like it. [89] <> basu taba ganin wani abu irin wannan ba. [90] ==

   Following a second sighting a few days later, [91] <> Bayan kwanaki kadan da ganin sa, [92] ==

   Israeli fighters scrambled to intercept the aircraft but couldn’t even come close. [93] <> mayakan Isra'ila sai suka yi kokarin cafko jirgin amma ba su iya kai wa ko kusa da shi ba. [94] ==

   The Pentagon put two and two together, [95] <> Cibiyar tsaro ta Pentagon ta hada wannan da wancan (biyu da biyu), [96] ==

   and came up with a Cold War crisis [97] <> inda ta bijiro da rudanin yakin cacar baki. [98] ==

   In November, the Israelis ambushed one of these mysterious intruders, [99] <> A watan Nuwamba, Isra'ila ta yi wa jirgin baduhu mai kutse kwanton bauna, [100] ==

   firing missiles head on from 30,000ft below. [101] <> ta harba makamai masu linzami sama zuwa kafa dubu 30 daga kasa. [102] ==

   It was a useless gesture. [103] <> Babu wani tasiri da ya yi. [104] ==

   Their unidentified target streaked past at nearly three times the speed of sound – [105] <> Abin da suka yi nufin harbi ya wuce da gudu da kimanin karfin rubi'i uku na gudun sauti – [106] ==

   so fast the jet was already out of the danger zone by the time the missiles exploded. [107] <> tuni wannan jirgi ya fice daga da'urar hadari sannan makami mai linzamin da aka harba ya tarwatse. [108] ==

   The Pentagon put two and two together, [109] <> Cibiyar tsaro ta Pentagon ta hada wannan da wancan (biyu da biyu), [110] ==

   and came up with a Cold War crisis. [111] <> inda ta bijiro da rudanin yakin cacar baki. [112] ==

   They were suddenly presented with the prospect of a Soviet fighter that [113] <> Kwatsam sai aka bijiro musu da jirgin yakin Sobiyat [114] ==

   could outrun and out-turn anything in the US Air Force. [115] <> da ya sha gaban kowane irin abu da rundunar sojan saman Amurka ta mallaka. [116] ==

   It was a classic case of military misinterpretation, says Stephen Trimble, [117] <> Wannan al'amari na rashin fahimta a harkokin soja, a cewar Stephen Trimble, [118] ==

   the US editor of Flightglobal. [119] <> Editan Mujallar harkokin sufurin sama na Flightglobal da ke Amurka. [120] ==

   “They seemed to overestimate its abilities on pure appearance,” he says, [121] <> "Sun bashi kimar da ta zarta karfin ikonsa bisa la'akari da siffarsa," a cewarsa, [122] ==

   “from the size of the wing and the huge size of its air intakes. [123] <> "daga girman fuffuke da girmansa wajen zuko iska. [124] ==

   “They knew it would be very fast, [125] <> "Sun san cewa yana da musifar gudu, [126] ==

   and also thought it would be very manoeuvrable. [127] <> kuma za a iya juya akalarsa ta hanyoyi da dama. [128] ==

   They were right about the first one, but not so right about the second one.” [129] <> Zaton farko ya yi daidai, amma na biyu bai zama gaskiya ba." [130] ==

   What the US satellites had seen, [131] <> Abin tauraron dan Adam na Amurka ya gano, [132] ==

   and the Israeli radars had tracked, were versions of the same aircraft – the MiG-25. [133] <> da na'urar isra'ila mai gano abubuwan da ke wucewa (radar), samfurin kirarsu iri daya ce da MiG-25. [134] ==

   It was built as a reaction to a series of aircraft the US were preparing to bring into service in the 1960s – [135] <> An kera ne don shan gaban nau'ukan jiragen da Amurka ta yi kokarin fito da su cikin shekarun 1960 – [136] ==

   N/A [137] <> wadanda kimarsu ta kama [138] ==

   from the F-108 fighter plane to the SR-71 spyplane [139] <> daga jirgin yaki kirar F-108 zuka kirar SR-71 [140] ==

   and the massive B-70 bomber. [141] <> da babban mai luguden bam na B-70. [142] ==

   These aircraft all had one thing in common – [143] <> Irin wadannan jirage suna da kamanceceniya da juna – [144] ==

   they would fly at three times the speed of sound. [145] <> gudunsu nunki uku ne na bazuwar karar sauti. [146] ==

   The technological leap needed to take an aircraft [147] <> Bunkasar kere-keren da ake bukata don daga kimar jirgi [148] ==

   from Mach 2 to Mach 3 was an enormous challenge [149] <> daga Mach 2 zuwa Mach 3 babban kalubale ne a da. [150] ==

   In the 1950s, the Soviets had largely kept pace with the leapfrogging advances in aviation. [151] <> A shekarun 1950, Sobiyat ta yi matukar samun ci gaba a hada-hadar jiragen sama. [152] ==

   They had bombers that could fly almost as fast and as high as the American B-52. [153] <> Suna da masu luguden bama-bamai da ke tashi da gudu fiye da jirgin Amurka kirar B-52. [154] ==

   Their fighter planes – [155] <> Jiragen yakinsu [156] ==

   many of which were made by the MiG design team – [157] <> mafi yawansu gungun kwararrun da suka zayyana kirar MiG suka yi su – [158] ==

   rivalled their American counterparts, [159] <> al'amarin da ya ba su damar kalubalantar takwarorinsu na Amurka, [160] ==

   though their radar [161] <> duk da cewa na'urarsu ta gano abubuwa (radar) [162] ==

   and other electronics weren’t quite so sophisticated. [163] <> da sauran na'urorin lantarkinsu ba wasu cukurkudabbu ba ne. [164] ==

   But the technological leap needed to take an aircraft from Mach 2 to Mach 3 was an enormous challenge. [165] <> Amma bunkasar kere-keren da ake bukata don daga kimar jirgi daga kirar Mach 2 zuwa Mach 3 babban kalubale ne a lokacin. [166] ==

   And this is what Soviet designers would have to do, as quickly as possible. [167] <> Kuma shi ne abin da ya kamata masu zayyanar Sobiyat su yi da hanzari yadda yake yiwuwa. [168] ==

   Led by MiG’s brilliant Rostislav Belyakov, [169] <> Karkashin jagorancin mai basira Rostislav Belyakov [170] ==

   the design team set to work. [171] <> gungun masu zayyana suka yi aiki. [172] ==

   To fly so fast, [173] <> Tashi da gudu, [174] ==

   the new fighter would need engines pushing out colossal amounts of thrust. [175] <> sabon jirgin yaki na bukatar injina da zai bashi karfin keta iska. [176] ==

   Tumansky, the leading engine designer of the USSR, [177] <> Tumansky, ja-gaban masu zayyanar na'ura a Tarayyar Sobiyat (USSR), [178] ==

   had already built an engine they believed could do the job, [179] <> tuni ya kera injin da ake da tabbacin zai iya yin wannan aiki, [180] ==

   the R-15 turbojet, which had been intended for a high-altitude cruise missile project. [181] <> wato kirar R-15 turbojet, wanda aka kera shi da manufar cillawa nisan samaniya ya kauce wa makami mai linzami. [182] ==

   The new MiG would need two of them, [183] <> Wannan sabon jirgin kirar MiG na bukatar irinsu biyu, [184] ==

   each capable of pushing out 11 tonnes of thrust. [185] <> ta yadda kowanne zai iya samun damar ketawa cikin iska mai nauyin ton 11. [186] ==

   Flying so fast creates enormous amounts of friction heat [187] <> Tashi da tsananin gudu na haifar da dimbin turjiyar zafi [188] ==

   as the aircraft pushes against air molecules. [189] <> a lokacin da jirgin ke fafatawa da kwayoyin sinadaran iska. [190] ==

   When Lockheed built the SR-71 Blackbird, [191] <> Lokacin da Lockheed ya kera jirgi rirar SR-71 Balackbird, [192] ==

   they built it out of titanium, [193] <> an kera shi ne daga cikin sinadarin titanium, [194] ==

   which could withstand the enormous heat. [195] <> wanda ke da juriyar tsananin zafi. [196] ==

   But titanium is expensive and difficult to work with. [197] <> Sai dai sinadarin titanium na da tsada da kuma wahala wajen amfani da shi. [198] ==

   Instead, MiG went with steel. [199] <> Sabanin haka, MiG an yi shi ne da karfe. [200] ==

   And lots of it. [201] <> An dibge da sauran abubuwa. [202] ==

   The MiG-25 was welded together, by hand. [203] <> Wannan kirar MiG-25 an yi masa walda (injuna) da hannu. [204] ==

   It’s only when you stand next to a MiG-25 – [205] <> Sai ka tsaya ne kawai a kusa da MiG-25 – [206] ==

   and there are several spending their retirement parked on the grass at some of Russia’s military museums – [207] <> za ka san an kashe kudi kan wadanda ke tsaye cikin ciyawa a farfajiyar gidan adana kayan tarihi sojoji na Rasha, [208] ==

   that you can fully appreciate just what a task it was. [209] <> ta haka za ka samu tabbaci kan irin aikin da ya yi. [210] ==

   The MiG-25 is enormous. [211] <> Kirar MiG-25 na da matukar girma. [212] ==

   At 64ft (19.5m) long, [213] <> A tsawonsa na kafa 64 (mita 19.5), [214] ==

   it’s only a few feet shorter than a World War Two-era Lancaster bomber. [215] <> da kadan ya gaza kai wa tsawon jirgin yakin luguden bam da aka yi amfani da shi a yakin duniya na biyu, 'Lancaster bomber.' [216] ==

   The airframe needed to be this big to accommodate the engines and the enormous amount of fuel needed to power them. [217] <> Girman jirgin da ake bukatar dauke da injuna mai shan mai yawa da zai bashi damar aiki. [218] ==

   “The MiG-25 could carry something like 30,000lbs [219] <> "Kirar MiG-25 zai iya daukar abu mai nauyin laba dubu 30 [220] ==

   (13,600kg) of fuel,” says Trimble. [221] <> (kilogiram dubu 13 da 600)," inji Trimble. [222] ==

   That heavy steel airframe [223] <> Karfe mai nauyi da aka kera gangar jikinsa [224] ==

   was the reason the MiG-25 had such large wings – [225] <> shi ne dalilin da ya sa kirar MiG-25 ke da manyan fuka-fuki – [226] ==

   not to help it dogfight with US fighters, [227] <> ba wai don ya yi artabu da jiragen yakin Amurka ba, [228] ==

   but simply in order to keep it in the air. [229] <> amma kawai don ya samu tsayawa tsaf a cikin iska. [230] ==

   The MiGs were designed to take off and accelerate to Mach 2.5, [231] <> Kirar nau'ukan MiG an tsara su ne yadda za su tashi da gudu kimarsu ta kai ga Mach 2.5, [232] ==

   guided to approaching targets [233] <> inda ake nusar da su zuwa ga abin da ake son su cimmmasa da karfi, [234] ==

   by large, ground-based radars. [235] <> ta hanyar sakon na'urar gano abubuwa masu wucewa da ke kasa. [236] ==

   When they were within 50 miles (80km), [237] <> Idan suna daidai mil 50 (kilomita 80), [238] ==

   their own on-board radars would be able to take over, [239] <> na'urarsu ta ciki da ke hango abubuwa za ta karbi aikinta, [240] ==

   and they would fire their missiles – [241] <> sannan za su iya harba makamai masu linzami, [242] ==

   which, in keeping with the MiG’s enormous size, were some 20-feet-long (6m). [243] <> wanda bisa la'akari da girman kirar MiG sun kai nisan kafa 20 (mita 6) [244] ==

   In the early 1970s, [245] <> Cikin shekara ta 1970 [246] ==

   US defence chiefs [247] <> shugabannin tsaron Amurka [248] ==

   knew nothing about the MiG’s capabilities – [249] <> ba su san komai ba game da karfin aikin kirar MiG – [250] ==

   though they had given it the codename ‘Foxbat’ [251] <> kodayake sun yi masa laqabi da "Foxbat." [252] ==

   As a counter to the American Blackbird, [253] <> Don shiga gaban Blackbird na Amurka, [254] ==

   MiG also built a reconnaissance version, [255] <> an kera MiG bayan da aka yi bincike kan samufurinsa, [256] ==

   which was unarmed, [257] <> wanda ba ya dauke da makami, [258] ==

   but carried cameras and other sensors. [259] <> amma yana da kyamarori da maganadisun sunsune-sunsune. [260] ==

   Without the weight of the missiles and the targeting radar, [261] <> Ba don nauyin makamai masu linzami da na'urar hange, [262] ==

   this version was lighter – [263] <> wannan nau'in da ya zama sakayau (babu nauyi) – [264] ==

   and it could fly as fast as Mach 3.2. [265] <> kuma zai iya tashi da gudun gaske tamkar kirar Mach 3.2. [266] ==

   This was the version spotted by Israel in 1971. [267] <> Wannan shi ne kirar samfurin da Isra'ila ta gano a shekara ta 1971. [268] ==

   But in the early 1970s, [269] <> Amma a farkon shekara ta 1970, [270] ==

   defence chiefs in the US knew nothing about the MiG’s capabilities – [271] <> jiga-jigan harkokin tsaron Amurka ba su san komai ba game da karfin aikin kirar MiG, [272] ==

   though they had given it the codename ‘Foxbat’. [273] <> duk da cewa, sun yi masa lakabin 'Foxbat." [274] ==

   They knew it only from blurred photos [275] <> Sun san shi ne kawai daga dushi-dushin hotunan [276] ==

   taken from space and from blips on radar screens above the Mediterranean. [277] <> da aka dauko daga sama ta hanyar wulkitawar na'urar hange ta saman tekun Mediterranean. [278] ==

   Unless they could somehow get their hands on one, [279] <> Sai dai kuma in wani ya shiga hannunsu, [280] ==

   it seemed that the MiG would [281] <> don haka wannan ke nuni da cewa kirar MiG [282] ==

   remain a mysterious threat. [283] <> na nan da cukurkudadden al'amarin barazana. [284] ==

   That is, until a disillusioned Soviet fighter pilot hatched his plan. [285] <> Wannan shi ne, sai bayan da matukin jirgin yakin Sobiyat da takaici ya kama shi ya aiwatar da manufarsa. [286] ==

   Viktor Belenko had been a model Soviet citizen. [287] <> Viktor Belenko ya zama abin koyi ga 'yan kasar tarayyar Sobiyat. [288] ==

   He was born just after the end of World War Two, [289] <> An haife shi ne bayan an kammala yakin duniya na biyu, [290] ==

   in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains. [291] <> a kasan tsaunukan sassan kasar da ke da iyakar tsakanin Turai da Asiya (Caucasus). [292] ==

   He entered military service and qualified as a fighter pilot – [293] <> Ya shiga aikin soja, inda ya samu kwarewa a matsayin matukin jirgin yaki – [294] ==

   a role that brought with it certain perks [295] <> aiki ne da ke tattare da kwarin gwiwa [296] ==

   compared to the average Soviet citizen. [297] <> idan an kwatanta da na matsakaicin dan Sobiyat. [298] ==

   But Belenko was disillusioned. [299] <> Amma Belenko ya cika da takaici. [300] ==

   The father-of-one was facing a divorce. [301] <> Mahaifin guda ne da ke fuskantar rabuwar aure. [302] ==

   He had started to question the very nature of Soviet society, [303] <> Ya fara bijiro wa kansa tambaya kan yanayin al'ummar Sobiyat, [304] ==

   and whether America was as evil as the Communist regime suggested. [305] <> da kuma ko mummunar illar Amurka ta kai ta Gwamnatin Kwamunisanci. [306] ==

   “Soviet propaganda at that time portrayed you as a spoiled rotten society which has fallen apart,” [307] <> "Farfagandar Sobiyat a lokacin ta nuna ku a matsayin al'ummar da zuciyarsu ta gurbatatta," [308] ==

   Belenko told Full Context magazine in 1996. [309] <> kamar yadda Belenko ya bayyana a wata hirarsa da mujalla a shekara ta 1996. [310] ==

   “But I had questions in my mind.” [311] <> "Amma ina da tambayoyi a tunanina." [312] ==

   Belenko realised the huge new fighter he was training in might be his key to escape. [313] <> Belenko ya fahimci cewa sabon babban jirgin da ya samu horo a kai shi zai ba shi damar tserewa. [314] ==

   He was based at the Chuguyevka Airbase [315] <> A lokacin yana aiki a sansanin jiragen saman soja na Chuguyevka Airbase [316] ==

   in Primorsky Krai, near the far eastern city of Vladivostok. [317] <> a Primorsky Krai da ke kusa da gabashin birnin Vladivostok. [318] ==

   Japan was only 400 miles (644km) away. [319] <> Kasar Japan na da nisan mil 400 (kilomita 644) daga wurin. [320] ==

   The new MiG could fly fast [321] <> Sabon jirgin kirar MiG na iya tashi da gudu, [322] ==

   and it could fly high, [323] <> kuma ya cilla koli, [324] ==

   but its two giant gas-guzzling engines [325] <> amma manyan injinasa biyu da ke shan dimbin gas [326] ==

   meant it couldn’t fly very far – certainly not far enough to land at a US airbase. [327] <> na nuni da cewa jirgin na iya yin tafiya mai nisan gaske - ba lallai ne nisan ya iya danganawa da sansanin sojan saman Amurka ba. [328] ==

   To evade both Soviet and Japanese military radar, [329] <> Don ya kauce wa na'urorin soja hango abubuwa a Sobiyat da Japan, [330] ==

   Belenko had to fly very low – about 100ft above the sea [331] <> Belenko ya yi tafiya ne kasa-kasa - kimanin qafa 100 a saman teku. [332] ==

   On 6 September Belenko flew off [333] <> A ranar 6 ga Satumba Belenko ya tashi sama [334] ==

   with fellow pilots on a training mission. [335] <> tare da abokan aikinsa da suke samun horo. [336] ==

   None of the MiGs were armed. [337] <> Babu daya daga cikin jiragen MiG da ke dauke da makamai. [338] ==

   He had already worked out a rough route, and his MiG had a full tank of fuel. [339] <> Tuni ya sava hanya, kuma jirginsa na MiG na shaqe da mai a tankinsa. [340] ==

   He broke formation, [341] <> Ya rabu da gungun, [342] ==

   and within a few minutes he was over the waves, heading towards Japan. [343] <> kuma cikin mintoci kad’an ya fice daga da'irar karvar saqonni, inda ya nufi Japan. [344] ==

   To evade both Soviet and Japanese military radar, [345] <> Don kauce wa na'urorin hangen sojan Sobiyat da na Japan, [346] ==

   Belenko had to fly very low – about 100ft (30m) above the sea. [347] <> Belenko ya tashi ne qasa-qasa - tsawon kimanin qafa 100 (mita30) a saman teku. [348] ==

   When he was far enough into Japanese airspace, [349] <> Lokacin da ya nausa sosai cikin sararin samaniyar Japan, [350] ==

   he took the MiG up to 20,000ft (6,000m) [351] <> sai ya qara daga jirgin MiG zuwa kafa dubu 20 (mita dubu 6), [352] ==

   so it could be picked up by Japanese radar. [353] <> ta yadda za a iya hango shi a Japan. [354] ==

   The surprised Japanese tried to hail this unidentified aircraft, [355] <> Jami'an Japan sun cika da mamakin wannan jirgi da ba su gane kansa ba, [356] ==

   but Belenko’s radio was tuned to the wrong frequencies. [357] <> amma ga shi na'urar rediyon karbar sakonnin Belenko ta kama wasu tashshi daban. [358] ==

   Japanese fighters were scrambled, [359] <> Mayakan Japan sai suka fantsama, [360] ==

   but by then, Belenko had dropped below the thick cloud cover again. [361] <> amma a lokacin Belenko ya yiwo kasa gajimare, inda ya samu lullubi. [362] ==

   He disappeared off the Japanese radar screens. [363] <> Ya bace wa na'urar hange ta Japan. [364] ==

   All this time, [365] <> Duk tsawon wannan lokaci, [366] ==

   the Soviet pilot had been flying by guesswork, [367] <> matukin jirgin Sobiyat na tafiya a sama ne bisa kintace, [368] ==

   on the memory of maps he’d studied before he’d taken off. [369] <> gwargwadon abin da ya iya tunawa daga taswirar da ya yi nazari kafin tasowarsa. [370] ==

   Belenko had intended to fly his aircraft to Chitose airbase, [371] <> Belenko dai ya yi nufin zuwa sansanin sojan sama na Chitose ya sauka, [372] ==

   but with fuel running low, he had to land at the nearest available airport. [373] <> amma da mansa ya fara yin kasa, sai ya nemi filin jirgi mafi kusa. [374] ==

   That, as it turned out, was Hakdodate. [375] <> Wannnan shi ne dalilin da ya sa ya sauka a Hakdodate [376] ==

   The Japanese suddenly found themselves with a defecting pilot – [377] <> Kwatsam sai Jami'an Japan suka samu matukin jirgin da ya tsero – [378] ==

   and a fighter jet that had so far evaded Western intelligence agencies [379] <> da jirgin yakin da ya shammaci hukumomin asirin Yammacin Turai. [380] ==

   Japan only really knew what they were dealing with when the MiG made its surprise landing. [381] <> Japan kadai ta san abin da suka rika yi wajen tarairayar saukar ban mamaki da jirgi kirar MiG ya yi musu. [382] ==

   Hakodate’s airport suddenly became a hive of intelligence activity. [383] <> Kwatsam kawai sai filin jirgin saman Hakodate ya cika da jami'an harkokin asiri. [384] ==

   The CIA was scarcely able to believe its luck. [385] <> Hukumar leken asirin Amurka ta CIA ta kasa gaskata wannan sa'a da ta samu. [386] ==

   The MiG was exhaustively examined after being moved to a nearby airbase. [387] <> Wannan jirgi kirar MiG an yi masa bincike yadda ya kamata, bayan da aka matsar da shi zuwa sansanin sojan sama da ke kusa. [388] ==

   “By disassembling the MiG-25 and inspecting it piece-by-piece over several weeks, [389] <> "Bayan da aka yi wa MiG-25 daidai aka yi masa nazarin kwakwaf tsawon makonni, [390] ==

   they were able to understand exactly what they were capable of,” says Trimble. [391] <> sai suka gano hakikanin abin da zai iya," inji Trimble. [392] ==

   The Soviets had not built the ‘super-fighter’ the Pentagon had feared, [393] <> Sobiyat ba ta kera wani "hamshakin jirgin yaki" da hukumar tsaron Pentagon ke tsoro ba, [394] ==

   says Smithsonian aviation curator Roger Connor, [395] <> a cewar mai tattara bayanan kayan tarihin jiragen sama (Smithsonian curator) Roger Connor, [396] ==

   but an inflexible aircraft built to do a very particular job. [397] <> amma wani jirgi ne mai wuyar sha'ani da aka kera don wani aiki na musamman. [398] ==

   “The MiG-25 was not a very useful combat aircraft,” says Connor. [399] <> "Kirar MiG ba jirgin yaki ba ne da ke da matukar tasiri a wajen faffatawa," inji Connor. [400] ==

   “It was an expensive, and cumbersome aircraft, [401] <> "Jirgi ne mai tsada da wuyar sha'ani, [402] ==

   and it wasn’t particularly effective in combat.” [403] <> kuma ba shi da wani tasiri wajen gwabza yaki." [404] ==

   There were other problems too. [405] <> Akwai sauran matsaloli. [406] ==

   Flying at Mach 3 meant enormous pressure on the engines. [407] <> Tashi da jirgi kirar Mach 3 na nuni da matukar tursasawa ga injina. [408] ==

   Lockheed’s SR-71 had solved this by putting cones in the front of the engines, [409] <> Kirar Lockheed SR-71 ya warware wannan matsalar ta hanyar yi masa tsinin baki a gaban injina, [410] ==

   which slowed the air down enough so it didn’t damage engine components. [411] <> abin da ke danna iska kasa sosai ta yadda ba za lallata injin ba. [412] ==

   The air could then be forced out the back of the engine to help generate more thrust. [413] <> Kuma za a tursasa iska ta fita ta baya, ta yadda zai samu karin karfin tashi. [414] ==

   The MiG tracked at Mach 3.2 by Israel [415] <> Kirar MiG da Isra'ila ta yi kokarin shawo kansa da Mach 3.2 [416] ==

   in 1971 essentially destroyed its engines in the process [417] <> a shekarar 1971 ya lalata injinansa ta wannan hanyar. [418] ==

   The MiG’s turbojets [419] <> Na'urar da ke juya injin MiG [420] ==

   generated thrust by sucking in air to help burn the fuel. [421] <> na zuke iska ta yadda za ta taimaka wajen kona mai. [422] ==

   Above 2,000mph (3,200km/h), however, things started to go wrong. [423] <> Ya kan tashi sama da mita dubu 2 a awa (kilomita dubu uku da 200 a awa). [424] ==

   MiG-25 pilots were warned never to exceed Mach 2.8; [425] <> An gargadi matukan MiG-25 cewa ka dasu zartar da Mach 2.8; [426] ==

   the MiG tracked at Mach 3.2 by Israel in 1971 [427] <> Kirar MiG da Isra'ila ta yi yunkurin shawo kansa da Mach 3.2 a shekara ta 1971 [428] ==

   essentially destroyed its engines in the process, and was lucky to return to base. [429] <> ya lalata injin ta wannan hanyar, amma an yi sa'ar komowa sansaninsa. [430] ==

   The spectre of the MiG-25 had caused the US to embark on a major new aircraft project – [431] <> Abin damuwar da aka yi hasashen aukuwarsa game da MiG-25 shi ya sanya Amurka ta himmatu wajen kera sabon jirgi, [432] ==

   one that had helped create the F-15 Eagle, [433] <> al'amarin da ya haifar da kirar F-15 Eagle, [434] ==

   a fighter designed to be fast but also highly manoeuvrable like the MiG was thought to be. [435] <> jirgin yaki da aka kera mai gudu, kuma ana iya juya akalarsa tamkar [436] ==

   Forty years later, the F-15 is still in service. [437] <> yadda aka so kasancewar MiG shekara 40 baya, har yanzu F-15 yana aiki. [438] ==

   In hindsight, the MiG, which the West had been so worried about, turned out to be a ‘paper tiger’. [439] <> Daga bisani, an gano cewa MiG da Yamma ta firgita da shi, ba wani abu ba ne, "illa damisar takarda.' [440] ==

   Its massive radar was years behind US models [441] <> Babbar na'urar hangenta kimarta ba ta kai ta Amurka ba, [442] ==

   because instead of transistors [443] <> saboda maimakon abubuwan sakonnin rediyo, [444] ==

   it used antiquated vacuum tubes [445] <> sai aka yi amfani da tsofaffin bututu [446] ==

   (a technology that did, however, make it impervious to electromagnetic pulses from nuclear blasts). [447] <> (wata fasahar kere-kere da ke hana sinadaran lantarki da maganadisu su ketata ta hanyar fashewar nukiliya). [448] ==

   The huge engines required so much fuel [449] <> Wannan babban inji yana matukar bukatar mai mai yawa [450] ==

   that the MiG was surprisingly short-ranged. [451] <> al'amarin da ya mayar da kirar MiG koma-baya. [452] ==

   It could take-off quickly, [453] <> Zai iya tashi nan da nan cikin sauri, [454] ==

   and fly in a straight line very fast to fire missiles or take pictures. That is about it. [455] <> ya tashi ya nausa a mike ya harba makami ko daukar hotuna. [456] ==

   The MiG that the Soviet Union had kept hidden from the world for several years [457] <> Kirar MiG da Tarayyar Sobiyat ta boye wa duniya tsawon shekaru [458] ==

   was partially reassembled, [459] <> an sake harharda shi, [460] ==

   and then loaded on a boat for its return to the USSR. [461] <> sannan aka dora a jirgin ruwa don mayar da shi tarayyar Sobiyat. [462] ==

   The Japanese charged the Soviets a $40,000 bill for shipping costs [463] <> Gwamnatin Japan ta bukaci Sobiyat ta biya ta Dala dubu 40 kudin dako [464] ==

   and the damage Belenko had inflicted at Hakodate airport. [465] <> da diyyar lalata filin jirgin saman Hakodate da Belenko ya yi. [466] ==

   It’s like Usain Bolt, except it’s a Usain Bolt that’s actually running slower than the marathon runner – [467] <> Tamkar dai Usaini Bolt ne, in ba Usain Bolt ba wane ne ke tseren da bai kai na masu gasar tsere, [468] ==

   Roger Connor, Smithsonian Air & Space Museum [469] <> a cewar Roger Cannor, mai tattara bayanan kayan tarihin sufurin jiragen sama na Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. [470] ==

   It soon became clear that the much-feared MiG was unable to intercept the US military’s SR-71, [471] <> Ba da dadewa ba aka gano cewa kirar MiG da ake tsoro ba zai iya shawo kan jirgin yakin Amurka kirar SR-71, [472] ==

   one of the planes it was built to deal with. [473] <> daya daga cikin jiragen da aka yi nufin shan kansu. [474] ==

   “The one big difference between the MiG and the SR-71, is that the SR-71 is not only fast, but it’s running a marathon,” says Connor. [475] <> "Bambanci tsakanin MiG da SR-71 ba gudu kadai ne ba, har da gasar tseren dogon zango, " inji Connor. [476] ==

   “The MiG is doing a sprint. [477] <> "Kirar MiG ta kafa ta cilla da gudu. [478] ==

   It’s like Usain Bolt, except it’s a Usain Bolt that’s actually running slower than the marathon runner.” [479] <> Tamkar dai Usain Bolt, in ba Usain Bolt wane ne zai mayar da kansa baya a lokacin da yake zakaran gasar tsere." [480] ==

   These limitations didn’t stop MiG building more than 1,200 MiG-25s. [481] <> Duk da wadannan nakasun ba a daina kera MiG ba, har aka samar da fiye da Dubu da 200 MiG-25. [482] ==

   The ‘Foxbat’ became a prestige plane for Soviet-backed air forces, [483] <> Lakabin 'Foxbat' ya zama abin alfahari ga sojan saman Sobiyat, [484] ==

   who saw the propaganda value in fielding the second-fastest plane on Earth. [485] <> wadanda suka ga alfanu fito da jirgi mafi gudu na biyu a duniya. [486] ==

   Algeria and Syria are still thought to be flying them today. [487] <> Aljeriya da Siriya ana sa ran suna amfani da su har zuwa yau. [488] ==

   India used the reconnaissance model with great success for 25 years; [489] <> Indiya ta yi amfani da wani sabon samfuri da ta samu gagarumar nasararsa tsawon shekara 25; [490] ==

   they were only retired in 2006 because of a lack of spare parts. [491] <> an dakatar da amfani da su ne a shekara ta 2006 saboda rashin kayan gyara. [492] ==

   The fear of the MiG-25 was its most impressive effect, says Trimble. [493] <> Tsoron kirar MiG da aka yi ta yi kyakkyawan tasiri, a cewar Trimble. [494] ==

   “Until 1976, [[[the]] US] didn’t know that it wasn’t capable of intercepting the SR-71, [495] <> "Kafin shekara ta 1976, (Amurka) ba a san cewa ba za ta iya shan kan kirar SR-71, [496] ==

   and that kept them out of Soviet airspace the entire period. [497] <> al'amarin da ya hana su shawagi a sararin samaniyar Sobiyat tsawon wancan lokacin. [498] ==

   The Soviets had been very sensitive to the idea of these overflights.” [499] <> Sobiyat ta yi matukar lura da jiragen da ke yada zango a kasarta." [500] ==

   Belenko himself did not return to the USSR with his partially dismantled fighter plane. [501] <> Belenko bai koma Tarayyar Sobiyat da jirgin yakinsa da aka ciccira ba. [502] ==

   The high-profile defector was allowed to move to the United States – [503] <> Wannan babban dan gudun hijira an ba shi dama ya koma kasar Amurka, [504] ==

   his US citizenship personally approved by US president Jimmy Carter – [505] <> inda ya zama cikakken dan kasa tare da amincewar Shugaban Amurka Jimmy Carter, [506] ==

   where he become an aeronautics engineer [507] <> inda ya zama injiniya jirgin sama, [508] ==

   and consultant to the US Air Force. [509] <> kuma kwararren mai bayar da shawara ga rundunar sojan saman Amurka. [510] ==

   His military ID, [511] <> Katin shaidarsa [512] ==

   and the notes he scribbled on a knee pad [513] <> da takardar bayanan da ya like a makarin kokon gwiwa [514] ==

   as he flew above the Sea of Japan [515] <> lokacin da ya tashi a saman tekun Japan [516] ==

   are now on display at the CIA Museum in Washington DC. [517] <> yanzu an baje su a gidan kayan tarihi na Hukumar leken asirin Amurka ta CIA da ke birnin Washington DC. [518] ==

   The MiG-25’s shortcomings, and the arrival of the American F-15, [519] <> Nakasun kirar MiG da zuwan jirgin yakin Amurka kirar F-15, [520] ==

   spurred Soviet designers to come up with new designs. [521] <> shi ya ingiza masu zayyana a tarayyar Sobiyat suka fito da sabuwar zayyana. [522] ==

   Trimble says this eventually led to the Su-27 series designed by MiG’s rival Sukhoi. [523] <> Trimble ya ce wannan lamari shi ya haifar da samuwar kirar Su-27 da abokan hamayyar MiG Sukhoi suka fito da shi. [524] ==

   It has been built in a myriad of ever-improving versions. [525] <> An kera shi ne ta hanyar inganta dimbin samfurin kirar. [526] ==

   It is exactly the kind of plane the Pentagon worried about at the beginning of the 1970s – fast and nimble – [527] <> Wannan shi ne hakikanin jirgin da Pentagon ta damu da shi a farkon shekara ta 1970 ga gudu da karfin tashi – [528] ==

   and the newer versions are probably the best fighter plane flying today, he says. [529] <> sannan sababbin samfurin kirarsa ta yiwu su ne jiragen yaki mafi nagarta a yau, kamar yadda ya ce. [530] ==

   The MiG-25’s story hasn’t ended entirely either. [531] <> Karshen labarin kirar MiG bai zo ba. [532] ==

   The design was heavily modified to create the MiG-31, [533] <> Domin an inganta zayyanarsa har aka samar da kirar MiG-31, [534] ==

   a fighter armed with sophisticated sensors, [535] <> wani jirgin yaki mai cukurkudaddun na'urorin sansano bayanai, [536] ==

   a powerful radar and better engines. [537] <> na'urar hange mai karfi da managartan injina. [538] ==

   “The MiG-31 is essentially a full realisation of what the MiG-25 was supposed to be,” says Trimble. [539] <> "Kirar MiG-31 ita ta cimma cikakkiyar manufar da ta sanya aka kera MiG-25 don ya cimmawa," a cewar Trimble. [540] ==

   The MiG-31 entered service a few years before the end of the Cold War, [541] <> Kirar MiG-31 ya fara aiki ne shekaru kadan kafin karshen yakin cacar baki, [542] ==

   and hundreds still patrol Russia’s vast borders. [543] <> kuma daruruwansa har yanzu suna yin sintiri a kan maka-makan iyakokin Rasha. [544] ==

   Western observers [545] <> Masu bin kadin al'amura [546] ==

   have had plenty of opportunities to see the MiG-31 at airshows, [547] <> sun samu dammar ganin qirar MiG-31 a baje kolin jiragen sama, [548] ==

   though much of their inner workings remain closely guarded. [549] <> ko da yake mafi yawan kayan da ke aikinsa an kange su. [550] ==

   After all, no Russian pilot has decided – [551] <> Baya ga wannan, babu wani matukin jirgin Rasha da ya taba yanke irin wannan kudiri [552] ==

   for whatever reason – [553] <> saboda wani dalili, [554] ==

   to seek exile outside of that vast country, [555] <> har ta nemi zuwa gudun hijira a wajen wannan hamshakiyar kasa, [556] ==

   and flown their MiG-31 to an unsuspecting foreign airfield. [557] <> ya kuma tashi a kirar MiG zuwa filin saukar jirage kasar wajen da ba a zata ba. [558] ==