Viktor Belenko
Soviet pilot who defected to the West (1947–2023) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Viktor Ivanovich Belenko (Russian: Виктор Иванович Беленко, February 15, 1947 – September 24, 2023) was a Russian-born American aerospace engineer and Soviet pilot who defected in 1976 to the West while flying his MiG-25 "Foxbat" jet interceptor and landed in Hakodate, Japan. George H. W. Bush, the Director of Central Intelligence at the time, called the opportunity to examine the plane up close an "intelligence bonanza" for the West.[1] Belenko later became a U.S. aerospace engineer.[citation needed]
In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Ivanovich and the family name is Belenko.
Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Viktor Belenko | |
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Russian: Виктор Иванович Беленко | |
Born | (1947-02-15)February 15, 1947 |
Died | September 24, 2023(2023-09-24) (aged 76) Rosebud, Illinois, U.S. |
Nationality | American Russian |
Occupation | Fighter pilot |
Known for | Defecting to the U.S. with MiG-25 in 1976 |
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